The Master and the Dragon
by got2luvanime9974
Summary: Natsu and his fellow team members find a strange duo with strange pasts, hidden abilities, and dark secrets. When they decide to hang out in the Fairy Tail guild, will they bring about an interesting new dynamic or unwanted danger? Rated M for language, violence, and future adult content.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 1**

The moon shone brightly over the silent town of Hargeon. The populace had long retired to their homes, leaving the streets empty of any activity. Life in Hargeon, a port city, was usually rather peaceful. Nothing of great excitement ever really happened there. On occasion, a wizard may show up and liven up the place, but all in all, life in Hargeon was uneventful and that suited the people just fine. The quiet was nice.

Suddenly, the sounds of heavy panting and running footsteps could be heard running down one of the streets. A wild-eyed man was running as fast as he possibly could with seemingly no direction in mind. He took countless turns down various streets, always making sure to look over his shoulder before each turn.

The man banked a quick right into an alley and immediately found himself crashing into an immovable object. He rubbed his face, which took the brunt of the collision, and looked up to see what could have possibly gotten in his way. He knew this area well and there was never anything in this alley before. What he saw made his eyes grow wide in fear. It was a wall of nothing but shadow.

As soon as the man came to this realization, the whole alley started to grow darker. The sound of giggling forced the man to snap his head around. Blocking what was now the only exit were two figures covered by the darkness. The man began to back away from them only to find his back pressed up against the wall. He didn't know what to do. He was trapped.

"Please, don't hurt me!"

The dark figures didn't move or speak.

"What do you people want from me? I haven't done anything!"

This got a reaction. The same person who giggled was now laughing. "Oh please, you know what you did." The voice was female.

"No I swear! I didn't do anything!" the man pleaded.

"Then why'd ya run?" she asked.

The man pointed to the other figure. "He was chasing me!"

A huff could be heard from the other figure.

"Of course he was chasing you," the woman reasoned simply. "After all, you are our mark."

The man was close to wetting himself. "M…Mark?" he stuttered.

"Yes, m…mark," the woman said mockingly.

"But…why? I didn't do anything I swear!"

The woman's raised her arms to shrug. "Yeah that's what they all say, but they always did something. You're no different."

"I am!"

The woman sighed. "Lacro Yenma. Age 35 and unmarried, no known family. You are responsible for the murder of a woman who you attempted to rape one night when you were drunk."

The man froze. 'How…How could they possibly know that?'

The male partner finally spoke. "I'm tired of this. Can I just eat him now? Fear always makes the flesh taste better."

The question made the man start to actually wet himself.

Another sigh from the woman. "You know you can't do that."

The man groaned. "I know, I was just kidding. I was just trying to get this guy to wet himself in fear…" he paused and sniffed the air, "…which he already has."

"God, you're immature sometimes."

The man simply chuckled. "So what's the call?"

In a very serious tone, she replied, "Kill him, but make it clean. We don't need the whole alley to be painted red and we don't need any signs that a dragon was here. And no eating."

_Did she say dragon?_ The man thought to himself in fear.

The man smiled, the little light in the area causing his teeth to shine. Lacro felt his heart beat even faster when he saw that this man had long and pointed teeth. He then heard a low growl and before he knew it, the man was jumping towards him. Before Lacro could even let out a scream, a black blade protruding from the side of the man's forearm cut through the flesh of his throat completely. Lacro's head rolled to the side and fell to the ground.

The man sighed. "Well, that's another one. Man, I still can't believe these guys are criminals. They're so weak. How the hell do they have the balls to do what they do?"

The woman shrugged while pulling out some cloth and tossing it to the man, who easily caught it. "Beats me, but if they committed the crime, it's not our place to say whether or not they're capable. As long as they did it and got away with it, we'll bring 'em down. Now clean yourself off, Nikolias."

The man did as instructed and wiped off his clothes and the blade that was still protruding from his arm. Once he finished, he tossed the rag back and retracted the blade and caused the wall that Lacro's corpse was still leaning against to disappear. "So mission accomplished then."

She gave him a smile. "Yep, mission accomplished! On to the next one!"

"And where would that be, Gracie?"

"I believe Magnolia should have something. We'll look around there."

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way."

* * *

Natsu Dragneel stood proudly as he admired his work. He and his team had been sent to deal with bandits that were harassing Clover Town. However, as usual, Natsu got overexcited immediately and burned down a lot of the property while chasing down the bandits with his Fire Dragon magic.

Of course, it didn't help that most of his team was just as destructive as he was. As soon as Natsu started fighting, Gray Fullbuster started using his Ice Make magic and was almost as destructive as Natsu while taking out the bandits. Erza Scarlett, who was always destructive if it meant the job got done, partook in her fair share of damage as well, sending various swords into the surrounding area and breaking apart multiple walls and vendors' stands while trying to immobilize the bandits. Capturing all of the bandits took roughly an hour, which Natsu didn't feel was enough time to really get going.

Lucy Heartfilia walked over to where Natsu was standing while groaning. "So much money…we're going to have to pay so much money to fix all of this."

Natsu turned to her and flashed her one of his signature grins. "Maybe, but it was a fun mission at least!"

Lucy just glared at him. "Maybe for you, but I was more interested in getting paid so that I could afford to pay rent."

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Man, you're a broken record with that stuff, Luce."

Lucy groaned again, deciding to give up on that particular argument.

"Oi, flame brain!"

Natsu turned to see Gray and Erza walking over to them. They had been reporting to the Magic Council about the bandits before the Council members took the bandits away. They had just finished and decided to join Natsu and Lucy.

"What is it, ice head?" Natsu shot back.

"What'd you call me?" Gray shouted while invading Natsu's personal space. "Wanna say that to my face?"

Natsu didn't back down. "You heard me!"

Metal clad hands separated the two before they could really get into it. "That's enough, you two. We need to head back to the guild now. If we leave now, we should be back in Magnolia by this afternoon."

Lucy looked pleadingly at Erza. "Erza, how much money are we actually taking home today?"

Erza shook her head. "Because of the damage caused by these two knuckleheads, we were only paid ¼ of the originally offered amount."

Lucy gave her a deadpanned look. "You know, you destroyed a lot of stuff, too."

Erza pretended that she didn't hear what Lucy said. "Alright everyone, let's move out."

Natsu, Erza, and Gray headed back towards Magnolia with Happy flying circles around their heads and Lucy dragging her feet in the rear.

"One quarter of the pay…," she wailed softly over and over again. She had no idea how she was going to manage this month's rent. She could always take more missions, but with the way her missions usually went while tagging along with Natsu and the demolition crew, she would just end up doing a lot of work and getting little pay for it. But what other choice did she have? It's not like other sources of income were easy to come by. She looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to reach the midpoint of the world's ceiling, indicating that it was getting close to noon. She sighed as she let the beams of warmth cover her soft skin. _Could this day get any worse?_

It was a couple of hours after noon when Team Natsu arrived back in Magnolia. Everyone's mood had stayed the same for the entire trip back; Erza was content with a job well done, Natsu and Gray were still throwing insults at each other, and Lucy was still depressed over losing what should have been easy money.

They reached the middle of town when the fighting between Gray and Natsu grew more heated.

"I don't care what you say, ice fairy. There's no way that you could beat me in a fight!" Natsu threw at Gray.

"I don't care if you believe me or not. It's a fact that everyone knows except for you," Gray growled back.

Natsu turned to Lucy. "Oi Lucy, who's stronger; me or Gray?"

Lucy smacked her hand against her forehead. "I don't care, Natsu. I just don't care."

Natsu flashed an evil grin at Gray. "See that? Lucy thinks that I'm stronger than you!"

"When the hell did she say that?"

"She said Natsu, didn't she?"

"She never said that you were stronger, dumbass!"

"Yes she did. You just couldn't hear it with all of that snow in your ears."

And thus the brawl began.

Gray threw a punch out at Natsu that caught him straight in the jaw and sent him flying into a fruit stand. Natsu jumped to his feet with a grin and charged Gray. Natsu attempted throwing a punch, but Gray easily dodged it and planted a foot in his gut and making him flinch. The fight was drawing quite a crowd.

Lucy looked around before turning to Erza. "Erza, why aren't you stopping them? They're making a scene."

Erza shrugged. "They need to get it out of their system. To be honest, I'm surprised they made it this far before snapping."

Lucy just sighed and watched the brawling wizards.

* * *

"So this is Magnolia, huh?" Gracie marveled. "It's wonderful!"

Nikolias walked along side her, eating a large bag of chips. "I'm just glad they have a lot of snacks around. I was starting to get really hungry."

Gracie shot Nikolias a look. "Really? The food is what you noticed? Not the scenery?"

"What? You know what happens when I get hungry."

Gracie sighed. "I know, but still… Couldn't you at least pretend to be interested in the new sights?"

Nikolias raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To make you seem more…human. Human beings tend to take in the sights."

Nikolias chuckled. "Yeah, 'cause that's what I care about. Being more like a dumbass human."

"You know you are partly human, right?"

He waved his hand. "Yeah, but I don't acknowledge that part."

"Just try to be more human. Then you can blend in better."

"I'm blending in just fine." He kept munching on his chips while Gracie just pressed her palm against her face.

Suddenly, Nikolias' ears twitched and he turned his eyes to the right. "Huh."

"What is it?"

"Sounds like something's happening over there."

Gracie's face lit up. "Ooo, maybe it's a street performance! Oh, let's check it out, Niky!"

"Gracie, I don't think…," he started but was interrupted by Gracie taking his arm and dragging him to where he had been looking. "Oh come on, Gracie. Do we have to?"

Gracie looked back to shoot him a smile. "Because it will be fun!"

Nikolias just rolled his eyes and allowed Gracie to drag him towards the commotion.

After a little walking, they arrived to see a crowd huddled around something. Gracie and Nikolias could hear shouting coming from the center.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Gracie asked.

Nikolias crinkled his nose. "I smell sweat and a little bit of blood. My guess is a fight of some kind."

Gracie huffed. "And I thought this was a peaceful town."

Nikolias just grinned. "And now this town just got a little more interesting."

"Oh Niky…"

Nikolias started to turn. "Still, I have no interest watching two strangers beat each other. Come on, let's keep walking, Gracie."

* * *

The fight between Gray and Natsu was intensifying more and more. Each mage was getting solid hits in, completely oblivious to the crowd that had been forming. Both were sporting cuts and bruises, but neither side was willing to concede.

"Just stay down, fire ass!" Gray shouted.

Fire started swarming around Natsu. "Ha! Like I would quit! Nice try, snow boy! If I didn't know better, you're trying to get me to quit because you're scared of losing."

"Yeah right."

"I think you're just one big arctic chicken!"

"Shut it!"

Natsu tucked his arms into his body to make wings and started flapping them around. "Bawk bawk bawk!"

Gray gritted his teeth in frustration and charged Natsu…which was exactly what Natsu knew he would do. Natsu drew back his right arm, fire enveloping his fist. As Gray drew closer, Natsu unleashed his attack.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Gray was caught completely off guard by Natsu's attack and, before he could even attempt to put up a defense, Natsu's fist collided with his chest. The impact knocked the wind out of Gray and sent him flying into the crowd.

Seeing the flying ice mage, the crowd quickly dispersed to avoid getting hit by the boy. However, not all bystanders were as quick. Or even paying attention for that matter.

* * *

"Still, I have no interest watching two strangers beat each other. Come on, let's keep walking, Gracie."

Suddenly, the crowd started to make sounds of panic and the occasional "Look out!" caused Nikolias to turn in confusion. Before he could understand what was happening, a body slammed into him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Niky!" Gracie called out in concern. "Are you alright?"

Natsu pumped his fist in victory. "HA! Alright, I win! Take that, icicle breath!"

"Yay, Natsu!" called out a proud Happy.

Lucy stared in shock before looking to Natsu. "Natsu…are you insane?"

Natsu looked at her in confusion. "Heh?"

Lucy pointed to where Gray had flown. "You knocked him into a civilian!"

Natsu scratched the back of his head. "Oh…well that wasn't supposed to happen. I guess we should make sure they're okay."

Lucy nodded and she and Erza ran towards Gray with Natsu in tow.

Gray rubbed the back of his head and grumbled, "Damn, how did I leave myself open like that? Stupid, Gray, very stupid. I'll never hear the end of this."

"Gray! Are you alright?" Lucy called as she, Erza, and Natsu ran to him.

"Yeah, I'm cool. Natsu doesn't hit that hard."

Natsu's eye twitched. "What, you wanna go for round two, you frozen bastard?"

"Bring it!"

"Enough, you two. We need to check on the civilian that Gray collided with," Erza said, stopping any considerations of another brawl.

"I thought I hit something. Where is he?"

Erza pointed to where a woman was kneeling. A young man was lying on the ground and slowly starting to move around.

"Come on, we should apologize," Erza said.

"Yeah, I guess we should," Gray agreed.

The four mages and Happy headed over to the couple to make sure everything was alright.

"Niky! Hey Niky! Come on, snap out of it!"

Grumbling into the dirt was the only response she got.

"Hi there!"

Gracie turned to see four people and a blue cat standing by her.

"Uh, hello," Gracie said.

A red haired woman stepped forward. "My name is Erza Scarlett. I would like to apologize for my comrades' behavior."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Erza motioned to a dark haired shirtless boy. "Gray here was the one who collided with your friend there because of a fight he was in with a fellow teammate."

Gracie felt really confused. "Wait, why were teammates fighting each other and in the street no less? And why is he not wearing a shirt?"

Gray looked down. "GAH! Where the hell did it go?" He began searching the immediate area for his lost garment of clothing.

"Hi, I'm Lucy!" a blonde girl said. "To answer your questions, Gray is a bit of a stripper, so he's normally without clothes. And Gray and Natsu here," she slapped a pink haired boy's chest with the back of her hand, "are constantly getting into fights everywhere."

"Alright…"

"Anyway, we would like to apologize," Erza said. "Is your friend alright?"

Gracie turned around to look at Nikolias. "Yeah, he's fine, just lazy." She stood and smiled at her company. "Thank you for checking on him, though. My name is Gracie and this is my friend and partner, Nikolias." She motioned to the young man still face down on the ground.

Erza bowed slightly. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Gracie."

Gracie waved her hands in front of her. "Please, no Miss, just Gracie."

"So Gracie, are you new in town? I don't recognize you or Nikolias."

Gracie smiled. "Yes, we're just passing through. It's quite a nice town."

"What brought you to Magnolia?" Lucy asked.

"Originally business, but it seems like that has fallen through, so strictly pleasure."

"Oh I see…hey your friend is starting to get up!" Lucy said.

Gracie turned to see Nikolias slowly getting on all fours before he froze. "Niky? Everything okay?"

Nikolias began slowly scanning the ground. "Where…Where are they?"

"Where's what, Niky?"

Nikolias slowly looked up. His eyes were flickering and he was sweating profusely. "Where are…the chips, Gracie?"

Understanding appeared on Gracie's face as she began to look frantically around. "Shit, where are the chips?" She turned to her company. "Do you see a big bag of chips anywhere?"

"Why?" Natsu asked with a puzzled look.

"It takes too long to explain. Please, do you see the chips?"

The mages looked around.

"Is that it?" Happy asked, pointing to a bag of chips on the ground with crumbled chips scattered all around.

Gracie paled a bit. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!"

"Gracie, what's wrong?" Erza asked.

"Please, do you have anything to eat on your persons?" Gracie begged.

Erza shook her head. "We're out of rations, my apologies. Why?"

Gracie ran over to Nikolias. "Niky? Can you stay calm for me?"

Nikolias was shaking now. "Gracie, I…I'm so hungry."

"I'll get you something, just hang on." Gracie looked up. "Please, find me something."

"What's going on?" Erza asked.

"I don't have time to explain!" she said, panic in her voice. "He needs food, now, or bad things will happen. Hurry!" She turned her attention back to Nikolias in an attempt to calm him down.

The mages looked around for anything to eat, splitting up to find something.

"Niky, you're stronger than this. Just hold on," Gracie said softly.

Nikolias was shaking more noticeably. "I…know I am, but…I'm just so…hungry." His voice was getting rougher and deeper. His hair began to stand on end and his fingers began digging into the stone.

Gracie kept trying to reassure Nikolias, but it was only slowing things down slightly. If he didn't get food soon, there would be trouble.

"Gracie!"

Gracie looked up to see Lucy running towards her with an apple in her hand with the rest of the group running behind her. Upon reaching Gracie, they were all slightly shocked to see Nikolias looking slightly different.

"Gracie, will this do?" Lucy asked, handing her the apple.

"It will for now. Thank you, Lucy." She presented the apple to Nikolias. "Here Nikolias, eat this."

Nikolias reached for the apple. Once his fingers touched it, he grabbed it quickly and devoured it within seconds until there was nothing left. Slowly but noticeably, Nikolias became less tense and his hair began to settle back down. Gracie released a heavy sigh.

"Thank you so much. Everything's alright now."

The mages stared at the now panting Nikolias until Natsu spoke up. "So…what the hell was that just now?"

"It's complicated."

"Do you mind explaining?"

Gracie remained silent. It was actually Nikolias who responded.

"It's okay, Gracie. We can tell them. They have a right to know why they were almost dinner."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Wh…What?"

Gracie sighed again. "Alright, I guess that makes sense." She stood up, supporting Nikolias with her shoulders. "Do you have anywhere that we can talk that's a bit more…private?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 2**

Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Happy led Gracie and Nikolias through Magnolia. As time passed, Nikolias seemed to be regaining his strength and, after a couple of minutes, was able to walk under his own power. Gracie had bought him another bag of chips as they walked, so he strolled alongside the group, munching away and smiling with content.

"So where exactly are we going?" Gracie finally asked.

Lucy turned to her. She still seemed a little nervous after what Nikolias had said earlier. "We're going to our guild. We can find privacy there."

"Guild?" Gracie asked.

"Guilds are places where wizards gather to take on missions," Lucy explained. She then pointed to the insignia on her hand. "We're all members of the Fairy Tail Guild!"

"Fairy Tail?"

Natsu looked at her with a big smile. "The best and strongest guild out there!"

Gracie giggled.

They walked the rest of the way partaking in idle conversation. All four mages tried to get to know Gracie a bit more since they already figured they would get nothing about Nikolias right now.

"So Gracie, are you a mage?" Gray asked.

"No, I'm afraid not."

"So what do you do?" Erza asked.

Gracie thought for a moment. "I think I'll save that for later. I promise to tell you, though."

"Why can't you just tell us now?" Gray asked.

Gracie just smiled. "It will make more sense when I explain everything at once."

The four mages were getting more and more curious by the second. They each stole a glance at Nikolias who was simply eating his chips and paying just enough attention to not crash into anybody.

"So Gracie, how long have you known Nikolias?" Lucy asked.

Gracie thought for a while. "My, how long has it been? I guess it's been…roughly ten years."

"Wow, that long? That's great! No wonder you two seem so close."

Gracie just smiled and nodded.

Eventually, they arrived at their destination; Fairy Tail.

"Here it is!" Natsu called out as he ran ahead. Happy flew after him with Gray, Lucy, and Erza following close behind.

Gracie stopped and stared at the building in amazement. "It's huge! What a lovely building. Niky, look at this building!"

"Very nice," Nikolias said simply, earning a slap to the head by Gracie. "Ow! What?"

"You were spacing out weren't you?"

"No I wasn't!"

"Then there's no excuse. What kind of answer is 'very nice'?"

"It's a perfectly good answer. What'd you want me to say?"

"Something more enthusiastic!"

Nikolias simply huffed and kept eating his chips. Gracie scowled at her partner for being so oblivious to anything other than food.

"Excuse me," Erza called from the door, "if you two are finished, you are welcome inside."

Gracie smiled and nodded before running ahead, giggling. Nikolias simply shook his head. "Why does she find everything so interesting?" he mumbled to himself, but quickened his pace slightly to catch up to her.

Erza held the door open for Gracie and Nikolias. Upon entering, both of them looked around in surprise. There were people sitting around, eating and laughing, telling stories, drinking at the bar, and even a peculiar old man walking around. Gracie and Nikolias looked at each other. Gracie had a huge smile on her face, completely in love with the environment of the guild. Nikolias, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable.

"Come on in, guys!" Natsu called from across the room. This caused everyone in the guild to turn their heads to see who was at the door.

Gracie shot a hand in the air and waved excitedly. "Hey everyone!"

Nikolias just stood there, silently eating his chips.

"Good afternoon, you two," said the peculiar old man, who had made his way to the door to greet the guests. "My name is Makarov. I am the Master of Fairy Tail. And who might you be?"

Gracie bowed low. "It's a pleasure, Master Makarov. My name is Gracie."

Nikolias just stared at the old man, but an elbow to the gut from Gracie forced him to follow suit. "My name is Nikolias," he said, bowing.

"I see. Very nice to meet you both. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Erza interjected. "We met these two in town, Master. Natsu and Gray were fighting when Gray collided with Nikolias. After that, something strange happened and we were promised an explanation when we found a more private location to discuss things."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "Something strange? Like what?"

"We're not entirely sure, Master, but hopefully we will know soon."

Gracie nodded. "Yes, Niky says it's okay to explain so if we can find someplace to talk, I will tell you what happened."

"Of course," Makarov said. "You may have a seat right there and you can tell your story." He pointed to a table in the middle of the room.

"Oh…that's not really as…private as I thought it would be," Gracie said slowly.

"You can trust everyone here," Makarov assured. "Besides, it would spread around the guild anyway, so it's best if you tell everyone yourself."

Nikolias snorted. "Of course they wouldn't be able to keep a secret. Typical of humans." This earned a questioning glance from everyone who heard.

"Niky, we're guests. Be polite!" Gracie scolded. Nikolias just looked away. Gracie sighed and turned to face Makarov. "Very well, if you think that's best." She made her way over to the table and sat down. Nikolias followed and sat beside her.

The entire guild gathered around, interested in the tale. Natsu and his team stood in the front as the story involved them.

Gracie smiled at her audience. "I think this will go faster and be much easier if you ask questions and I'll answer. If I feel like the question pertains to anyone here, then I will answer. However, we did just meet, and although I like you guys, there are some things better left unsaid. So if I feel that the question is—with all due respect—none of your business, then I will simply say that I can't answer. Does that sound agreeable?" Everyone nodded. "Very well then. Ask away!"

Lucy was the first to ask a question. "What did Nikolias mean when he said we were almost dinner?"

Everyone who hadn't been there looked shocked and stared at Nikolias in confusion.

Gracie nodded. "I will answer that. You see, Nikolias is…" she stopped as she suddenly found it hard to explain to strangers exactly what Nikolias was. She turned to Nikolias, who simply placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave a small smile, telling her that it was okay to explain. After taking a deep breath, she continued. "Nikolias is a Half-Dragon."

Everyone gasped.

"What's a Half-Dragon?" Lucy asked.

"I guess that does need to be answered to answer the first question. I won't go into the whole process or the whole story, but I will give you a short summary. Half-Dragons are a long extinct breed. They are the result of the intense bond of friendship shared between a dragon and human. When the dragon feels the bond is at its peak, it chooses to undergo a special ritual with the human called Dragon Spirit; the ultimate bond between man and beast. When the ritual is complete, the human becomes a Half-Dragon."

"Why do they call it Half-Dragon?" Natsu asked, clearly interested in every word Gracie said.

Gracie smiled at Lucy. "I swear I'll answer your original question." She then turned to Natsu. "They're called Half-Dragons for a very obvious reason. Half-Dragons have the ability to partially and fully transform into a dragon."

All eyes turned to Nikolias, stunned expressions on their faces. Upon seeing their faces, Nikolias simply laughed before returning to his chips.

"Anyway, to go back to the first question, because Nikolias is a Half-Dragon, he gets incredibly hungry from time to time. This kind of hunger rarely appears, but when it does, it can be trouble. He has to constantly eat until he is 'full'."

Erza stepped forward. "I understand now that Nikolias acted the way he did because his hunger was unsatisfied, but how does that make people 'dinner'?"

"This kind of hunger is brought on by his dragon side. It's a hunger that calls for Nikolias to eat anything that is considered edible to a dragon, which includes humans. As long as Nikolias keeps eating until he's full, though, that side of him will lie dormant until the next time the incredible hunger returns."

"How rarely is rarely?" Erza asked.

"I've been by Nikolias' side for about ten years and I've only seen it twice. The most recent occurrence is present day. The other time was about nine years ago. I wasn't prepared for that one, though." Gracie looked at the ground, slightly sad. "Anyway, it's not like clockwork, based on what Nikolias has told me. It happens randomly, but the shortest gap between instances was apparently five years."

"So what happens if this 'dragon side' is awakened?" Gray asked.

Gracie looked up. "He'll partially transform into a dragon and eat whatever he sees. If he sees a human, though, he goes straight for them, even if there's other food in the area."

"Can you explain this partial transformation?" Makarov asked.

"He takes on only a few dragon characteristics and maintains the other human characteristics and his body size."

Makarov spoke up again. "You mentioned earlier that Half-Dragons were long extinct. If that's true, then how is Nikolias one?"

Gracie shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't answer that one." Makarov grumbled, but he did agree to leave Gracie be if she didn't want to answer, so he left it alone.

"Is Nikolias a danger to be around?" Erza asked.

Gracie shook her head. "That one's difficult to explain. The short answer would be no, though."

"Can you explain when he is dangerous?" Erza followed up, looking for more details.

"On the rare occasion he is experiencing his incredible hunger, he is dangerous when he is not eating anything. That's all I'm comfortable saying about that, though."

"Does he ever lose control?" Gajeel asked. He was also becoming more interested in this Half-Dragon business.

"Again, if he doesn't have anything to eat during his immense hunger swings, then he loses control until his hunger is satisfied."

"That's it?" Gajeel huffed. "That's the only way he loses control?"

"He is very good at controlling his abilities."

Gajeel just glared at Nikolias. He knew that there was something Gracie was leaving out, but he didn't know what.

"How long do his hunger swings last?" Lucy asked, nervous about the answer.

"Less than 24 hours. This current instance should pass in an hour or two." Gracie's answer allowed Lucy to exhale in relief.

Mira, who had been listening intently to everything since Gracie and Nikolias arrived, stepped forward. "Gracie, why does Nikolias seem to think so little of humans if he's part human?"

Gracie smiled sadly at the mage. "Nikolias doesn't have the best history with humans. He doesn't hate them or anything, but he can't see why some act the way they do, so his view of them isn't always positive. I'm sorry, but that's all I can really say on the matter."

"I see," Mira said sadly. She looked at Nikolias and was surprised to see him looking at her, too. She locked onto his eyes and found that she couldn't bring herself to look away. His eyes were a golden brown with flecks of black and they had her in a trance. As she stared, she felt like she could see pain in his eyes, pain that he was trying to hide and forget. She felt like she could cry and she didn't even know what happened. She felt the need to know this boy and understand what he had seen and experienced. After staring at each other for a while, Nikolias gave her a small smile and broke the eye contact.

_How weird,_ Mira thought. _It almost seemed like he forced himself to look away…_

"Any other questions?" Gracie asked after there had been a silence for a while.

"Yes, Gracie. You said that you would tell us what you do. Can you explain now?" Erza asked.

Gracie nodded. "Of course! I almost forgot. I am a Dragon Master."

"What's that?" Erza inquired.

"It's my job to make sure Nikolias keeps his composure. It rarely becomes an issue, but it does happen, so I become a calming effect for him. Other than that, when we're fighting, I give commands and such, like a tactician. That's not to say I don't fight, but strategy is important."

Natsu raised his hand. "Can Nikolias show us some stuff?"

Nikolias raised an eyebrow.

Gracie laughed at the boy's excitement. "That's up to Niky."

Natsu looked pleadingly at Nikolias. Even Gajeel and Wendy had hopeful looks, although Gajeel was trying to mask it as best he could.

Nikolias sighed and stood up. "Fine, I'll show you one thing, but let's take it outside." He moved towards the door with Gracie right behind him. Natsu followed eagerly with the rest of the guild right behind him. They all wanted to see what Nikolias would do.

Outside of the guild, everyone stood directly by the gate to provide Nikolias with space, per Gracie's instructions.

"Alright, you get one thing, but it can't be too big. I don't want to destroy the whole town. What do you want to see?" Nikolias called out.

"Transform into a dragon!" Natsu called out excitedly.

Nikolias sighed. "That's too big, kid. Think smaller."

"What about a partial transformation?" Makarov asked. He was still a little confused by this concept.

Nikolias pondered this request. "I could show you that if you want."

"Wait, what about his hunger thing?" Lucy asked nervously. She didn't want to die a virgin and she especially didn't want to be dragon food.

Nikolias ran a hand through his hair. "As long as I'm the one to call out my dragon side, I have complete control. It's only when I try to repress it that it becomes a problem. Does that make sense?"

Lucy shook her head. "Not really. I don't see how that small difference could matter."

Nikolias thought. "Think of it like this; when I choose to transform, I keep my thoughts, beliefs, emotions, etc. Because of that, I'm not a mindless eating machine. However, if the transformation occurs without my consent, then my mind can't go with it."

"But if you can feel the transformation occurring like you could back in the square, why not transform voluntarily every time you feel it?" Lucy asked.

"The dragon inside isn't constantly trying to push through when I go through these intense bouts of hunger. I eat like I do during these times as a way to ensure I'm satisfied for the duration. It's more precautionary than anything else. However, when my dragon side is trying to push through, like you saw in town today, I don't have time to get my mind in order to perform a transformation through choice. Attempting it would allow my dragon side to easily take over."

Natsu turned to Lucy impatiently. "There, ya happy, Lucy? He won't eat you." He looked back to Nikolias. "Can you transform now?"

Nikolias sighed. He took one more chip out of the bag and ate it before tossing the bag to Gracie. He then took off his shirt to reveal a muscular body with toned abs and incredible pecs, making most of the girls blush. He tossed this to Gracie as well. "Alright, alright. Hold on." He then proceeded to close his eyes.

Everyone was waiting excitedly.

Suddenly, Nikolias' entire body became engulfed in thin shadows that danced around him. Everyone was in awe. The transformation was beginning.

No one could believe what they were seeing. Nikolias' arms had black scales forming on them, starting at his mid-bicep and working their way to his hands. When the scales reached his hands, his hands began expanding into large claws. His fingernails started growing longer until they formed solid razor-sharp talons. Out of the sides of his forearms appeared two long, black, sharp blades that bent upwards and pointed to the sky.

Out of nowhere, the shoes Nikolias was wearing exploded off of his feet, revealing that his legs and feet were also covered in black scales and his feet were now slightly larger versions of his hands.

From his backside, a long black tail shot out and slammed into the ground with incredible force. From the tip of the tail, spiked plates started rising up and moving up his spine, increasing in size as they went up the spine.

From beneath his shoulder blades, two massive black wings shot into the air. Nikolias spread them out fully to stretch them, even flapping a few times to shake out the stiffness. The membrane was thin, but not transparent and was slightly lighter in color than the rest of his dragon parts. After stretching them out for a while, Nikolias folded his wings back up against his back.

Nikolias' teeth started to elongate slightly, turning into sharp fangs. He could still close his mouth and conceal the teeth if he so chose, but instead allowed them to shine in the light of the setting sun. Black scales surrounded his closed eyes and began spreading outwards. However, once scales covered his eyes, temples, cheek bones, and the bridge of his nose, they stopped expanding.

Nikolias' ears disappeared into his skull. From the crown of his skull rose four long, boney black spikes. The two in the center were slightly shorter than the ones on the outside.

It took a total of about ten seconds for Nikolias to transform. Now that he was done, the shadows that were enveloping him vanished, giving everyone a good look at the result. Nikolias opened his eyes, revealing golden eyes with black flecks mixed in and black slits for pupils. With the transformation complete, he threw his head back and unleashed a mighty roar. Chills went down the spines of all in attendance, Gracie being the only exception.

Nikolias went down on all fours, as this felt more natural to him in this state, and sat staring at the amazed Fairy Tail wizards.

"Awesome!" shouted Natsu as he jumped up and down.

"Incredible…," Gray whispered.

"Holy shit, he can actually do it," Gajeel said.

"How cool!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Very interesting," Makarov said as he studied the creature in front of him.

"Beautiful…," Mira breathed.

All the Fairy Tail wizards began throwing their thoughts and opinions around about what they just saw and what they were currently seeing.

Gracie simply giggled and walked over to Nikolias' sitting form. He saw her walking towards him and bared his teeth in a smile. When she got to him she started petting his head and waited for the commotion to die down.

After about 30 minutes of banter, Makarov put his hands in the air. "Alright everyone, that's enough. We saw something incredible today, that's for sure." He looked to Gracie and Nikolias. "We greatly appreciate you showing us this transformation, Nikolias."

Nikolias bowed his head in acknowledgement.

Makarov looked at Gracie. "Can he not speak?"

Gracie shook her head. "Only through the mind, but you have to form a special communication link to talk with him. Unfortunately, unless he completely trusts you, he won't offer that link. He can understand you though; just don't ask him anything you need an answer to."

Makarov scratched his chin. "I see. Well, if you wish you can transform back, Nikolias, but it's up to you."

Nikolias closed his eyes, stood up on his hind legs, and once again, he was surrounded by thin shadows. Everyone watched as the scales vanished, the blades retracted, the claws and talons became hands, feet, and fingernails, the teeth shrank back down, the boney protrusions in his skull disappeared while the ears reappeared, and the tail and wings vanished back within his body. The shadows disappeared and Nikolias opened his eyes, revealing the golden brown eyes he had before. He shot everyone a smile. "Show's over!"

Everyone was still blown away, but Makarov found the ability to speak. "My boy, you truly are impressive. Thank you for showing us that."

"Happy to oblige."

Makarov looked at Gracie. "So where are you two staying?"

Gracie smiled. "We had no intentions of staying. We were just passing through."

"Well surely you can't be thinking of leaving at this hour? It's almost dark out," Makarov said. "You may sleep in the guild if you wish."

Gracie looked at Nikolias. "Can we, Niky? Please? I bet they have really comfortable beds."

Nikolias sighed. "Fine, we'll spend the night."

Gracie squealed with glee and threw her arms around Nikolias' neck. "Thanks, Niky!" She then ran towards the group and started chatting with the girls about having a slumber party in the guild, which all the girls excitedly agreed to.

Nikolias could only sigh at how quickly Gracie could make friends, but there was no mistaking the small smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 3**

Nikolias grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed and dragged himself out of the room he was sleeping in. He got very little sleep last night, which tends to put him in less than pleasant moods. It had nothing to do with the bed, though. He actually loved the soft mattress and silky sheets. As soon as he lay down on the bed last night, he truly believed he could sleep peacefully.

But it wasn't to be, thanks entirely to his far too loud partner.

All through the night, Gracie and her new gal pals were shouting, screaming, laughing, thumping, banging, yelling—in summation, making far too much noise in their room to allow Nikolias to sleep at all. He was glad that Gracie could find people to connect to and befriend, especially since in their line of work, friends were hard to come by, but did they have to be so loud? They can be friends quietly, can't they? God damn it, he was tired.

He could hear the sounds of talking and laughing coming from the Main Hall, which was where he was attempting to drag himself. He remembered the clock reading 9:37 AM when he got up. _Why the hell is everyone here already? Does no one value sleep anymore?_ He thought to himself.

Upon entering the Main Hall, he saw almost the same thing as yesterday; people talking and laughing, eating, and drinking. The only differences today were that Natsu and Gray were fighting off to one side of the guild and Gracie was sitting among the girls of the guild. Gracie turned her head slightly and saw Nikolias enter the Main Hall and waved excitedly at him.

"Good morning, Niky! How'd you sleep last night?" she called out to him.

"You were loud," he answered grumpily.

"Someone's cranky," she mocked.

He walked over to her. "What were you even doing all night?"

Gracie thought back on the slumber party's events.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_The girls all gathered in the guild later that night with everything they would need for a fun slumber party. Gracie was waiting anxiously in the Main Hall and grew more and more excited with each arriving guest._

_ Lucy was the last to arrive. "Hi Gracie! Sorry I'm late. Natsu broke into my place again and I had to get him to leave before I could lock up."_

_ Gracie smiled. "It's okay, we're all here now!"_

_ "Where's Nikolias?" Erza asked, noticing the absence of the Half-Dragon._

_ "He's outside doing a little bit of what he calls 'pre-sleep training'. I think it's stupid, but he refuses to stop. Anyway, once he's done, he'll just head straight to bed, so he won't be in our way."_

_ "He could join us," Wendy offered innocently._

_ Gracie laughed really hard at this. "Sorry Wendy, but that was hysterical. Niky would absolutely hate a slumber party, especially with people he just met."_

_ "That's okay, it just means that we can gossip without fear that one of the guys might find out," Mira said while winking._

_ "True! So, do we go to my room now?" Gracie asked._

_ All the girls agreed and they made their way up to Gracie's room._

_ As soon as they were all inside and the door was closed, the gossip began._

_ "So who do people like?" Gracie started._

_ "You don't beat around the bush, huh?" Cana said._

_ Gracie smiled. "Why wait? We would get to it eventually, right?"_

_ "Alright, well since you're so anxious, you start. Who do you like?" Cana asked._

_ "Unfortunately, no one. Niky and I travel a lot so there's no one I've really been able to get to know."_

_ "You don't like Nikolias?" Mira asked._

_ "Niky's like a brother to me and I'm like a sister to him. We're protective of each other, just like family. I love Niky, but in a sibling kind of way."_

_ "I see," Mira said._

_ Gracie got a mischievous grin. "Do you ask because you like him, Mira?"_

_ Mira blushed but didn't answer._

_ "He's pretty cute," Cana said before throwing back a beer. "I guarantee I'm not the only one here who thinks so."_

_ All the girls blushed a little in response, causing Gracie to laugh._

_ "I always knew Niky was good looking, but I never thought everyone here would think so."_

_ "He does have a nice body," Lisanna said._

_ "And he's strong," Erza added._

_ Gracie clapped her hands together. "Oh, how nice! Well, I guess it is a popular opinion. Come to think of it, I catch so many girls staring at him wherever we go, but he never notices and if he does, he doesn't ever mention or acknowledge it."_

_ "Why not?" Mira asked._

_ Gracie gave a sad smile. "Like I said, Niky doesn't have a great track record with people. I can't go into it, but just know that his heart has been broken."_

_ "That's so sad," Lucy said. "So he's been in love before?"_

_ Gracie nodded, but offered no more information._

_ "Poor Nikolias," Mira whispered._

_ Gracie shook away any sadness she was feeling and perked back up. "So who do you girls like?"_

_ No one answered, so Gracie scanned the room. Her eyes landed on Erza._

_ "Erza, who do you like?"_

_ Erza shook her head violently. "No one."_

_ Gracie gave her a knowing smile. "Yeah right. No one says no that intensely. It's suspicious! Now spill. What's his name?"_

_ Erza looked down, her face extremely red. "Je…Jellal."_

_ "See, I knew there was someone! I'm never wrong about these things. Unfortunately, I don't know him, so you're lucky that I'm not gonna grill you on this," Gracie said as she began scanning the room again. Erza exhaled, grateful to not have to go into any detail. Gracie's eyes landed on the blue haired water mage. "How about you, Juvia?"_

_ Juvia began poking her fingers. "Juvia likes Gray-sama."_

_ "Aw that's cute! You two go together perfectly! He seems like a nice boy, but his stripping habit is a tad weird," Gracie said._

_ "Juvia doesn't think so…," Juvia mumbled while blushing._

_ Gracie winked at her. "I'm sure you don't."_

_ Gracie kept scanning and calling out names, forcing the girls to spill their guts. If one girl refused to cave, the others would throw her under the bus, leading to screaming matches and making other girls laugh hysterically. Wendy admitted to liking Romeo, Levy admitted to liking Gajeel, and Evergreen finally admitted to liking Elfman, much to the surprise of the Strauss sisters._

_ Gracie arrived at Lucy. "Ah, Miss Lucy. I'd ask who you like, but I think I already know."_

_ Lucy blinked. "I…I don't like anyone."_

_ "Denial," Gracie said simply._

_ "It's not denial," Lucy protested._

_ "Oh come on, I've known you for less than a day and even I can see that there's something going on between you and Natsu."_

_ Lucy blushed a deep red. "N…No there's not!"_

_ "Oh yes there is. Look how red you are!" Gracie said giggling._

_ Lucy stood up and stomped her foot. "I don't like Natsu!"_

_ Gracie just smiled up at her. "Argue all you want, but I know it when I see it."_

_ "It's true, Lucy. We all see it," Erza said._

_ "You two are perfect for each other!" Mira cooed._

_ "Shut up, Mira! You like Nikolias!" Lucy threw back, causing the Take Over mage to blush and back off._

_ Gracie smiled sweetly at Mira before turning back to Lucy. "You can't throw me off the scent by trying to distract me. If Mira likes Nikolias, I'm thrilled, but I won't let you escape, Lucy. Admit it."_

_ "I don't like Natsu!"_

_ Gracie sighed. "Look Lucy. I know quite a bit about dragons as I'm sure you already know. As I understand it, Natsu is a Dragon Slayer, which is basically a relative to the Half-Dragons. Even though Natsu can't become a dragon, he still has dragon characteristics, such as the heightened senses. So let me ask you this; why do you think Natsu breaks into your place?"_

_ Lucy stared at her. "To be annoying."_

_ "Wrong answer. It's because he's drawn to your scent. Nikolias told me that when a dragon finds the one he or she wants to be with for life, they are attracted to the scent of the person. They can't get enough of it. Natsu is intoxicated by your scent so he keeps showing up at your place where the scent is everywhere. Trust me, he's into you, whether he's consciously aware of it or not. And if he's not yet, he will be soon since he's maturing."_

_ Lucy felt her heart rate speed up. Did Natsu really like her? She shook her head. "Even if Natsu likes me, that doesn't mean I like him!"_

_ "My my, your wrong again! The scent becomes stronger to the dragon if it senses that the object of their affection returns the feelings. The bond that forms is unbreakable. You two do missions together all the time as I understand it and he's always breaking into your place to be around you. You two appear to be inseparable. If you ask me, you two are into each other, but neither one of you wants to admit it."_

_ Lucy had no response to Gracie's last explanation. All that was going through her head was "Do I really like Natsu? No, it can't be…"_

_ "So if Nikolias was in love before, is that how he knows about this scent thing?" Mira asked._

_ Gracie nodded. "That and the fact that it's common knowledge among dragons."_

_ "If he was in love already and it didn't work out, does that mean he can never fall in love again?" Wendy asked sadly._

_ Gracie sighed, contemplating how much she should actually say. "Niky probably could fall in love again, but I doubt he will."_

_ "Was his heart break really that bad?" Mira asked._

_ Another sad smile from Gracie. "More than you could possibly know."_

_ With all the girls' crushes out in the open, Gracie decided to better understand everyone's magic. They spent the rest of the night talking about their powers and missions that they had done before all of them eventually fell asleep._

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

Gracie looked back at Nikolias and smiled. "We just talked. Sorry, it's top secret, so you can't know, Niky."

He sighed and made his way over to the bar. He sat in an empty chair and put his head down. He was still ridiculously tired, but mainly he was confused at what Gracie said. _If they were just talking, why the hell did it sound like there was a festival in the next room?_

"Is he always this grumpy in the morning?" Cana asked.

Gracie giggled. "Quite often, yes. Don't worry, it passes quickly. Just let him wake up a bit."

"It's fine. He's cute when he's grumpy," Cana said as she winked at the girls, making Gracie giggle again.

"Should I ask if he needs anything?" Mira asked, since she had left the bar to chat with the girls.

Gracie waved her hand. "Nah, he doesn't actually want anything. He's just sitting there since it's empty."

"Why doesn't he mingle?" Levy asked.

"Niky doesn't mingle well. He prefers to blend in and draw as little attention as possible. Well, when he's not fighting and sticking out like a sore thumb, at least." She laughed at this last part.

"Oi, Lucy!"

Everyone turned their heads to see Natsu and Happy running over excitedly with a piece of paper.

"What's up, Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"We got a mission! It's a good one, too. Look how much money we'll get! You can easily pay your rent with this!" Natsu said excitedly with his trademark grin plastered on his face.

Lucy looked at the piece of paper. "Natsu, the money is great, but look at what they want us to do! They want us to act as bodyguards for a political function! Doesn't that sound a little crazy?"

Natsu gave her a confused look. "Not really. As long as there's something to beat up!"

Gracie giggled.

Lucy sighed. "Fine, we can go if you want. Erza, you feel like joining?"

Erza stood up. "Of course. I'll go alert Gray."

Natsu was less than thrilled that Gray was going to come, but then he got an idea. "Hey Gracie, why don't you and Nikolias tag along! It'll be fun and maybe Nikolias can teach me some stuff."

Gracie smiled. "Well I don't know about Niky being able to teach you anything, but if you all want us to come along, I see no harm in that." She turned to the bar. "Niky, come here!" she shouted to him.

Nikolias picked up his head and walked over. "What?"

"Wake up, we're going on a mission!"

Nikolias stared at her. "Why?"

"Because it'll be fun!"

Nikolias sighed. "Gracie, I thought we were gonna take off after one night."

Gracie just frowned at him. "Why would we do that? It's fun here and you would see it if you could just break out of your mood. Come on, I'm sure this mission will make you love being here."

"Gracie…," he started, but was interrupted by Gracie grabbing his ear and pulling him to the door. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! Let go, that hurts! Cut it out, Gracie!"

"We're going on a mission, Niky. Let's go!" she said, unwilling to relinquish her grip on his ear.

"Fine, okay, just let go," he begged. She released his ear and he immediately went to rubbing it. "Damn it, Gracie."

She gave him a smile then turned to the group. "So are we going now or what?"

"We have to prepare first," Lucy said. "We'll meet you back here in one hour after we all gather our stuff."

Gracie seemed confused by how much time they needed to prepare, but just shrugged it off. "Okay, we'll see you in one hour!"

* * *

Natsu and his team, along with Gracie and Nikolias, made their way to Freesia Town. According to the mission details, there was an important peace conference being held there that a number of people were upset about. The government officials were scared that powerful forces would try to stop the conference using violence, so they were looking for bodyguards to ensure that the conference was successful and the peace was kept.

When Nikolias heard about the mission details from Erza's en route explanation, he couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny, Nikolias?" Erza asked.

Nikolias wiped away a tear. "It's just so hysterical how paranoid these government guys are. This isn't even a major peace conference between major governments or nations. There's just no way anyone extremely powerful will show up."

Natsu pouted. "Damn it, I wanted some action!"

Nikolias clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Me too, Natsu. Me too."

Natsu looked at Nikolias. "So Nikolias, can you show me some of your attacks and possibly teach them to me?"

Nikolias smiled. "Perhaps. However, there are very few similarities in attacks between Dragon Slayers who use magic and Half-Dragons who use no magic."

"You don't use magic?" Natsu asked.

"Not even a little. Everything I can do is either from the Dragon Spirit, which isn't magic, or from my father himself."

"Wow. But what kind of similarities are there?" Natsu prodded, looking desperately for any clue that he could get stronger.

Nikolias thought. "Well I looked into Dragon Slayers and each one uses different power elements, much like it was for Half-Dragons. Since our power elements are different, though, that further reduces the likelihood that I can show you something you can learn or that you don't already know."

"What's your element?" Erza asked. She and everyone else were listening intently to the conversation.

"My element is shadow. I utilize the darkness for my abilities."

"So you can only use it at night?" Natsu asked.

Nikolias shook his head. "I'm even stronger at night, but I'm perfectly capable of fighting at 150% at any time of day."

"Well that's a cool element," Gray said.

"Yeah, so what can you teach me?" Natsu asked impatiently.

Nikolias scratched the back of his head. "Let's see, can you Roar?"

Natsu nodded his head.

"What about Fist?"

Another nod.

"Claw?"

Another nod.

"What about Haze?"

Natsu shook his head with excitement.

"You can't use the Haze technique? It's a pretty powerful one."

"What's it do?" Natsu asked. He sounded like a little kid about to get a new toy.

"It varies depending on your element. You're a Fire Dragon Slayer right?" Natsu nodded. "Okay, so for you, the Fire Dragon Haze inflicts burns that not only damage the skin, but can also damage someone internally if it's inhaled."

Natsu's eyes widened. "Kick ass! What's your Haze do?"

"I actually named my Haze something different because of what it does."

"What's it called?" Lucy asked.

"I call it Endless Nightmare."

Lucy shivered. "Endless Nightmare? Why is it called that?"

"Basically, my Shadow Dragon Haze isn't a physically damaging attack. Instead, it works on a person's mind. When they are exposed to the Haze, they begin to hallucinate. They see themselves facing their worst nightmares and fears forever until I break the Haze or kill them."

"How awful," Lucy murmured.

Nikolias chuckled. "It really isn't a move I use a lot. Only those who truly deserve to suffer ever experience that move." He then turned to Natsu. "Once I see you fight and evaluate your strength, I'll decide as to whether or not I will teach you the Dragon Haze technique."

Natsu shot him a questioning look. "Why do I have to be evaluated?"

"The Dragon Haze technique is extremely powerful and, if the user is not ready for the damage it can do, the using of the move could be dangerous to the user as well as the intended victim. I just want to make sure that you're ready for such a powerful attack."

Natsu pouted. "Not fair."

"Have you ever seen the Endless Nightmare technique, Gracie?" Gray asked.

Gracie shook her head. "Niky hasn't ever had to use it. He considers that one a last resort."

Natsu kept badgering Nikolias. "How about a move I can actually learn? Come on, there has to be at least one that you can teach me."

"Damn, you really don't quit. Alright, let me think…Have you learned the Dragon Pulse technique? That one's fairly simple to learn."

Natsu shook his head again.

"Okay, for this technique, you have to be able to focus as much power as desired into your hand."

"Better give up, cinder brain. There's no way you can focus enough," Gray shot at Natsu.

"Can it, freezer boy. I can totally do this," Natsu shot back. He then stared intently into his palm, creating flames in his right palm.

"Good, that's step one," Nikolias said. He then proceeded to call forth shadows into his own right palm. "The next step is to concentrate the power into an orb. If you keep it separated and loose like that, it just becomes a fireball." He then showed Natsu what he wanted. Without even looking at his palm, Nikolias collected the shadows in his palm and forced them to unify into an orb of blackness.

Natsu looked at his own palm and tried to get it into an orb. This was slightly more difficult for him, as he had never attempted to have his fire retain a particular shape before, but he managed to get it done with minimal effort.

"Excellent," Nikolias complimented. "The rest comes down to your aim. The person or object you hit with this orb will take the majority of the damage. Once this orb collides with something, it also instantly discharges, releasing a pulse of power to damage and knock away nearby foes. It's great for facing large crowds." Nikolias then fired the orb out of his palm and towards a rock face to the group's left. The orb collided with the rock face and sent a black shockwave outwards, spewing dirt and small pebbles everywhere. When the dust cleared, everyone could see that there was a significant dent in the rock face. "That was a low power Pulse, just for a demonstration."

Natsu stared excitedly at the orb in his hands. "Thanks, Nikolias! This'll be awesome!"

"Just make sure to practice it, okay?" Nikolias said. "Even a move as simple as this can have a serious drawback if used incorrectly."

Natsu nodded, indicating he would practice.

"You can do a lot of different techniques, can't you Nikolias?" Erza asked.

"Too many probably," Nikolias joked.

The team made its way to Freesia Town by late afternoon. Natsu was still playing with the Fire Dragon Pulse in his hand while Nikolias, Gracie, and Lucy smiled at his immediate fascination with the fire. It was like it was the first time he created fire.

Their mission didn't start until the next day, so Erza led them to the hotel they would be staying in. They were able to get three rooms, so the pairings were fairly straightforward; Natsu and Gray, Lucy and Erza, and Nikolias and Gracie. Once they went to their rooms and got situated, they all decided to congregate in the lobby to go sightseeing.

"I can't wait to see the town!" Gracie said excitedly.

"I know, I'm so excited!" Lucy agreed.

"Luce, you've been here before," Natsu said.

Lucy shot him a look. "Things can change. Besides, I didn't get to look around completely the last time we were here."

"Well, should we go then?" Erza asked and everyone nodded.

* * *

A large caravan marched through the gates of Freesia Town. There were groups of masked men surrounding a large horse-drawn carriage. As soon as the mass of people crossed through the gates, they all stopped. One of the masked men knocked on the door.

"We have arrived, sire," he called inside.

The door opened and out stepped a man in elegant navy blue robes. He looked around with a smirk on his face, a smirk that was slightly crooked due to a deep scar on the right side of his face that stretched from the corner of his lips to the corner of his eye. "So this is Freesia Town, eh?" he said with a calm yet confident tone.

"Yes, Lord Nato. We have brought you to Freesia Town, just as you requested," the masked man said, bowing.

Lord Nato's smile grew larger, showing off perfectly white teeth. "Oh, I will have some fun with this town."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 4**

"Wow, look at that!" Gracie exclaimed. "I've never seen anything so beautiful!"

Gracie, Lucy, Erza, and Nikolias were all in an old antique shop and having a look around while Natsu, Gray, and Happy stayed outside, claiming that antiquing was 'too girly'. Natsu and Gray were surprised, however, when Nikolias went along with the girls. They thought for sure he would share their views. They asked him why he was going in there, but he only shrugged and said, "Why not?" However, he soon detached from the girls to look around on his own.

Gracie held out an old sword to the small group around her. "What do you think guys?"

The sheath was bronze and was tastefully decorated with rubies, amethysts, and emeralds. Gracie unsheathed the sword slightly to look at the blade. It was still in excellent condition. Although the blade had dulled and rusted a bit, it still shone when the light hit it right.

"I love those jewels!" exclaimed Lucy.

"It looks like it was a truly powerful and feared sword in its prime," Erza commented.

"I think it's marvelous," Gracie said while admiring the blade.

"Do you fight with swords, Gracie?" Lucy asked.

Gracie nodded. "Among other things. I dabble in all sorts of weapons, but I specialize in only a few."

"What would they be?" Erza questioned.

Gracie unsheathed the sword fully to gaze upon its elegant features. "Dual wielding katanas, broad swords, and halberds." She swung the blade a few times and inserted it back in its holster. "I like it! I've been looking for a new sword to test out."

"Those are certainly impressive weapons to master, but why those in particular?" Erza asked.

Gracie smiled at her. "It's simple, really. Each weapon fits into a strategy to fight alongside each of Nikolias' forms; human, partial-dragon, and dragon. The katanas are for his human form, the broad sword is for his dragon form, and the halberd is for his partial-dragon form."

"I'd love to spar with you to see how good you are with these weapons," Erza said.

Gracie clapped her hands together. "Oh, that sounds like fun! We can figure something out when we get back!"

Nikolias, having finished his private tour, walked back over to the girls. Upon seeing the sword in Gracie's hand, his eyes widened. "Gracie, where the hell did you get that?"

She turned to look at him questioningly. "I got it here. Where else would I have gotten it?"

His gaze was fixed on the blade. "Shit, you have no idea what you're holding, do you?" he asked, his voice trembling from what could have been either anger or fear.

"Clearly not. What's the big deal? It's a nice sword."

"It's a monstrosity," Nikolias hissed, causing all the girls to step back nervously, including Gracie.

"Niky, what's gotten into you? It's a quality sword. How is it a monstrosity?"

Nikolias glared at Gracie and pointed to the sword. "That sword is a Dragon Hunter, Gracie."

Gracie stared at the blade. "A Dragon Hunter?"

"What's a Dragon Hunter?" Lucy asked.

Nikolias closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. "Dragon Hunters were swords created long ago to destroy dragons. The smiths that created them were mages, so they used their magic to empower the blades. If the blade connected with a dragon, the scales would begin to disintegrate and a poison would seep into the flesh. At first, the dragons wouldn't know they were infected, but over time, they would begin to feel weak and lose all desire to eat or move. They would slowly die and right before the end, they would experience unrivaled pain so that they would welcome death and not try to fight the inevitable."

"How awful," Lucy said, a hand over her mouth from shock.

"Niky, I'm sorry. I had no idea. I won't buy the sword if it would make you feel uncomfortable," Gracie offered.

Nikolias opened his eyes. He stared at the sword again. "I thought they were all destroyed. I can't believe one survived all this time." He eventually tore his eyes away from the sword to look at Gracie. "As much as I hate the sword, if you really want to buy it I won't stop you."

"But what if it somehow accidentally cuts you!" Lucy asked.

Nikolias smiled at her. "There are two reasons why that doesn't concern me. First of all, Gracie's skill with weapons is unmatched. There's no way I would ever be cut by her accidentally. Second of all, the poison doesn't affect me."

"Why doesn't it affect you?" Erza asked. "Is it because you're a Half-Dragon?"

Nikolias shook his head. "No, that's not why." He looked at Gracie, a serious look on his face. "The poison that was used to empower the blade was derived from _that_ virus."

Gracie's eyes widened. "You're kidding…"

Nikolias shook his head. "I wish I was. That's why I'm serious, Gracie. If you want the sword, buy it. It will definitely be powerful enough to serve you well. Besides, I'd prefer it was in your hands than in the hands of someone else."

Gracie looked at the sword with a sad expression. She then lifted her head and looked at Nikolias. "I'll buy it so that we can destroy it, Niky."

Nikolias smiled at Gracie. "Always so thoughtful, aren't you?"

"Wait, what are you guys even talking about? What virus?" Lucy asked, annoyed that she was so clueless.

Gracie smiled at Lucy. "Nothing to concern yourself with, Lucy."

"So have we all looked around enough?" Erza asked. Everyone nodded and they proceeded to the checkout counter so that Gracie could buy the sword. Once she had made her purchase, the four went back outside to meet up with Natsu, Gray, and Happy.

"Finally. You guys took forever," Gray said.

Nikolias covered his eyes with his hand. "For the love of God, why the fuck are you naked?"

Gray looked down. "GAH! Where the hell did they go?" He searched frantically for his clothes.

Nikolias shook his head. "First a Dragon Hunter and then another guy's dick. Just my luck."

Gracie giggled. "So where to next?"

"Can we go somewhere fun?" Natsu whined.

"Sure, where would you like to go, Natsu?" Gracie asked.

He thought for a moment. "I heard that there's a really cool magic shop here. Let's check that out!"

"Great idea!" Lucy said. "I bet they'll have some awesome Gate Keys there."

"I hope they have fire stuff!" Natsu said, a wicked grin on his face.

"Sounds good to me," said Gray, returning fully clothed.

"Okay, we'll go to the magic shop!" Gracie said excitedly. "But first, I need to destroy this." She detached the Dragon Hunter from her waist. "How do I destroy it, Niky?"

He smiled at her. "There's no special way to go about it. Just…" He suddenly stopped, his eyes wide and alert and a growl escaping his lips.

"Nikolias?" Lucy asked.

"Something wrong?" Erza asked.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natsu asked.

Gracie, however, knew exactly what was going on. "Niky, who do you see?"

Nikolias reached into his pocket and pulled out a small book, quickly leafing through the pages.

"What's that?" Natsu asked.

"It's our Business Book," Gracie said as she moved behind Nikolias and looked over his shoulder.

"Business Book?" Erza inquired.

Gracie nodded. "It has a page dedicated to each mark, which includes pictures, basic information, list of crimes, etc."

"Wait, 'marks'?" Lucy asked. "What are 'marks'?"

Gracie sighed. "I guess you were gonna have to find out someday anyway." She looked at the group of wizards. "Niky and I are Hunters."

"Hunters?" Gray repeated. "What are those?"

"Basically, we hunt criminals who managed to avoid getting punished for their crimes. We gather information in the towns we visit, acquiring names of anyone who committed a serious crime, such as rape, murder, kidnapping; really any crime that significantly impacted other peoples' lives."

"So you're like bounty hunters?" Natsu asked.

"Not really. The people we hunt tend not to live after we find them."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"You two _kill_ people?" Lucy exclaimed.

Gracie nodded. "Yeah, we kill criminals. That's our job. We don't get paid for it, but we consider it reward enough knowing that a lot of bad people are gone."

"H…How could you do something like that?" Lucy stammered.

"It's what we do. You have no idea what kind of people we hunt. They're bad people and deserve what comes to them."

"So when you came to Magnolia…"

"We came looking for information on any crimes or criminals. We got some information, but none of the crimes were serious enough to warrant punishment and if they were, law enforcement already punished those responsible."

"If you kill people, how are you any different from those you seek to punish?" Erza asked, her face contorted with anger.

"Because what we do helps the innocent lead safer and better lives," Gracie responded. "I never said that we are saints, but what we do helps even the score a bit."

"I can't believe you didn't tell us," Lucy said. "That's kind of major information."

Gracie sighed and walked away from Nikolias who was still frantically flipping through the book. For a tiny book, it had numerous pages and it was clearly rather unorganized. She approached her companions and stopped in front of them. "We never said anything because you never asked and it's not something that naturally fits into a conversation."

"You still shoulda mentioned it," Gray said.

"Look, the only reason I'm telling you guys this is because both Niky and I like you guys and Fairy Tail. We don't want to lie to you guys and had it come up earlier we would've mentioned it then," Gracie explained.

Suddenly, Nikolias stopped flipping and stared at a page, another louder growl escaping his lips. "I knew it."

"Who'd you find?" Gracie asked, turning to look at him.

"Lord Darius Nato," he growled, his voice rough.

Gracie nodded. "Alright. Lead me to him." Nikolias started sprinting off with Gracie close behind. Gracie turned over her shoulder while she ran. "We'll meet up with you guys later!" she called out to the companions they were leaving behind before turning back around to keep up with the incredibly fast Nikolias.

The four Fairy Tail mages were left there, dumbstruck by the new information they just learned.

"They kill people," Lucy whispered.

"I never thought for a second that they were into that kind of shit," Gray said while shaking his head.

"It's disappointing to learn about, that's for sure," Erza said.

"I think it's awesome!"

Everyone turned to look at Natsu.

"What the hell is wrong with you, ash brain? They kill people!" Gray shouted.

"Who hurt other people. It's not like they're cold blooded murderers. They help people to protect their loved ones, their friends, their homes. I think that's pretty awesome."

Everyone thought about his words.

"Still," Lucy spoke up, "they talk about it like it's easy to take lives."

"It could be the way that they deal with something that could be traumatic," Erza offered.

"Well, I wanna watch!" Natsu exclaimed as he began running off in the direction that Nikolias and Gracie had gone.

"Natsu, stop! We'll wait for them here!" Lucy called out to him, but he wouldn't stop. She sighed. "Great. Now what do we do?"

Gray shrugged. "I say follow him."

Erza nodded. "We probably should. I'd rather Natsu not get involved in their business. He could prove to be a hindrance and that could be dangerous."

Lucy nodded slowly. "Alright fine, we'll go."

The three Fairy Tail mages ran after Natsu, all a bit curious to see what would happen when they found Gracie and Nikolias.

* * *

Nikolias shot into an alley and concealed himself in darkness just before a large group of people passed by. He peered around the edge of the building and the corner of his lips curled up. There was no mistake. The person in the center of the group was definitely Lord Nato.

Nikolias felt someone move beside him. Without moving from his position, he spoke. "No doubt about it, Gracie. That's Lord Nato."

"What can you tell me about him?" Gracie asked.

"He's the worst kind of trash. He's a major crime boss syndicate. He has his men collect wages from all kinds of people and the poor have to pay the most. All who can't pay him the correct amount are killed on the spot, no exceptions. He's also a 'gun-for-hire' kind of guy. If someone needs manpower to do dirty work, they call him. His prices are steep, but his men are effective. Aside from that, he also apparently enjoys taking daughters and wives as forms of payment or punishment for his own twisted lust." After finishing his explanation, Nikolias spat on the ground in disgust. "I hate guys like this. They think just because they have money and power, they can do whatever the hell they want. It makes me sick."

Gracie put a hand on Nikolias' tensing shoulders. "Take it easy, Nikolias. We'll get this guy, no doubt about it. After today, he won't be hurting anyone anymore. First, we need a plan. It seems he has a lot of bodyguards and if you're description of him was correct, none of them are pushovers."

Nikolias nodded, trying to resist the urge to charge Nato right then and there. "Right, so what do you suggest?"

Gracie pondered. "Well, there are multiple things to consider. The first thing to consider is the numbers. There are a lot of them and their skill level is currently unknown. That would normally suggest the Air-Ground method. However, we then have to consider the population. We don't know this town at all, so we can't predict where he is currently going. There's always the chance that when we engage him, he could be in a heavily populated area, which would mean we would have to hold back on power. That would suggest the Ground-Ground method. Finally, we have to consider Nato himself. We don't know what kind of boss he is. He could be a 'run-and-hide-til-the-mess-is-cleaned-up' kind of boss or he could be the kind of boss who gets involved in the fight. Since we don't know his anything about his abilities, we would have to treat him as a major threat, which would suggest the Air-Air method, but then you have to consider that we aren't in a wide open space, which would heavily restrict our movements and options."

Nikolias gave her a deadpanned look. "None of this is actually helping. You just listed all of our categories of strategy. Which one are we gonna use?"

"I'm working on it," Gracie shot at him. "Just keep your eyes on him while I think things through."

"Right," Nikolias said, nodding. He started to leave, but was stopped by Gracie grabbing his arm. "Gracie, what's wrong?"

Gracie gave him a sad look. "Do you think they hate us now?"

Nikolias gave her a sad smile. "It's possible, but I don't know for sure. It sure didn't sound like they approved, but who knows?"

Gracie tried to smile. "I really liked hanging out with them. They were fun."

Nikolias sighed. "I know you had fun and I'm really sorry if things don't work out, but this is what we do, Gracie. We can't apologize for it. If they don't want anything to do with us anymore, then that gives us back the freedom to roam and do what needs to be done, although I'm sure that's not what you want to hear."

Gracie looked down. "We finally had new friends. I wish it didn't have to end."

Nikolias put his hand over Gracie's hand that was on his arm. "We don't know how they feel yet. We'll find out later, okay? And who knows, maybe they won't think down on us. It's not over yet," he said softly, trying to reassure her.

Gracie smiled at him and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "You know, you're quite the ladies' man in Fairy Tail."

Nikolias chuckled. "Is that so?"

"It is. Rumor has it that Mirajane is really into you."

"I'm flattered. She's a beautiful girl."

"My, my, Niky. I've never heard you say anything like that before."

He smiled and gently removed her grasp on his arm. He then quickly left the alley and jumped up to the roofs of the buildings, following Nato and his men as discretely as possible.

Gracie watched as he jumped up and giggled. "I'll never get used to how high he can jump."

* * *

Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Happy finally managed to catch up with Natsu as they ran down the streets. They had long lost sight of Gracie and Nikolias and were relying solely on Natsu's nose.

"Anything Natsu?" Lucy asked.

Natsu sniffed the air. "Uh oh."

"What uh oh?" Gray asked.

Natsu sniffed the air again. "The scents are separating."

"What?" Lucy shouted. "Why are they separating?"

"If I had to guess, Nikolias is beginning to engage the enemy while Gracie is patiently sitting back and waiting to strike," Erza said.

Lucy nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Nikolias does seem more like Natsu and Gracie seems more like you, Erza. So who do we go to?"

"We go to Gracie. That's our best chance to assist," Erza responded.

"Wait, we're getting involved?" Lucy asked surprised.

"Kick ass!" Natsu shouted. "Finally, something fun!"

"Where's Gracie, Natsu?" Erza questioned.

Natsu sniffed the air and quickly turned down an alley. "There."

* * *

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Gracie asked, completely caught off guard when her companions showed up in the alley she was sitting in.

"We want to help," Natsu said, a big smile on his face.

Gracie was taken aback. "You…You want to help?"

"Yes, we do," Erza said.

Gracie smiled and tears started to fill her eyes again. "I thought for sure you guys hated us."

Lucy smiled at her. "We could never hate you guys. Maybe we don't agree with what you do, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?"

"Th…Thank you, Lucy, everyone," Gracie said, fighting back the tears.

"So what can we do?" Gray asked.

Gracie wiped away the tears from her eyes before answering. "I appreciate you guys coming and offering to help, but there's too much about this guy that we don't know. It's best if you guys hang back."

"Aw, what?" Natsu whined. "No way, we're fighting, too!"

"No, Natsu," Erza said. "If Gracie wants us out of the way then we have to respect her wishes."

"Thank you, Erza. I'd say you guys can watch, but you may not want to."

Lucy shuddered. "I think you're right."

"Where's Nikolias, anyway?" Gray asked.

"He's tracking while I come up with a plan. I think I have our strategy in place now, so all we have to do is find him."

"I can find him!" Natsu said excitedly.

Gracie giggled, knowing full well that she could easily find Nikolias on her own. "Alright Natsu, lead us to him."

Natsu gave a large grin and took off to where he could smell Nikolias with the others following closely behind.

* * *

Nikolias squatted on a roof, looking down at Nato and his band of douche bags. He gritted his teeth as he watched the group stop in the middle of the square and start harassing civilians, wanting more than anything to jump the guy and tear him to pieces. However, he knew better than to engage a large group without a plan in place and Gracie was coming up with that plan now. All he could do was watch and wait for Gracie to show up where he was. He always made sure that he kept in a straight line when he was moving without Gracie beside him so that they wouldn't get separated.

"C'mon Gracie, where are you," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Natsu led the group down the street at a quick pace. He seemed eager to find Nikolias, most likely because he had already forgotten that he was banned from fighting.

"How close, Natsu?" Erza asked.

Natsu sniffed the air. "Really close! Just a few more blocks."

Erza nodded. "Good. Gracie, where should we stand so that we're out of the way?"

"The plan has yet to be decided since I don't know where our mark is. However, I can say with certainty that you should keep a safe distance. I'll leave the specifics up to you, Erza," Gracie said.

Natsu ran past a building and into a large rounded area. He stopped and sniffed the air. "Hmm, I could've sworn he was here."

"Nice going, fire ass. You led us into the middle of town. You probably smelled food and led us here," Gray mocked.

"Shut up, ice prick! I was following Nikolias' scent!" Natsu shouted.

"What'd you call me?" Gray shouted back. The noise was beginning to attract attention.

"You heard me!" Natsu bellowed.

"Enough you two!" Erza commanded. Alas, it was too late.

Gray unleashed a roundhouse kick to Natsu's head sending him flying into Lord Nato.

"Gray, you moron!" Lucy scolded.

* * *

"Gray, you moron!" Nikolias hissed.

* * *

"Lord Nato! Are you alright?" one of the bodyguards asked as he helped Lord Nato to his feet.

Lord Nato stood and roughly shook the man off of him. He glared down at the barely conscious pink haired boy at his feet. "Insolent fool! How dare you collide into me while I am doing business with these peasants! Do you know who I am? I am Lord Nato, the most powerful man in the world! Your actions shall not go unpunished!" He reached for his belt and pulled out a curved dagger with a golden hilt and jewels of all kinds. He lifted the dagger over his head, murderous intent in his eyes.

Lucy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Natsu was about to be killed. Natsu…no it couldn't be. Natsu wouldn't die. _Get up,_ she begged. _Natsu, get up!_ The dagger began its descent towards Natsu. "NATSU!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 5**

Lord Nato's dagger seemed to be moving in slow motion to the Fairy Tail mages. The sheer shock on all of their faces said it all. They were about to witness the end of their beloved friend, Natsu, who still lay on the ground trying to shake off the effects of the kick delivered by Gray. He was completely oblivious to everything around him. There was nothing any of them could do. It was impossible to react quick enough to save Natsu.

"NATSU!" Lucy shrieked.

Suddenly, a streak of shadow darted out and wrapped itself around Nato's arm, halting the descent of the dagger a mere inches from Natsu's heart. Lord Nato stared at his arm in shock. At first, he thought one of his subordinates was defying him and preventing him from carrying out his will upon this boy. However, the anger was replaced with confusion at what exactly was attached to his forearm. "What is this? Who dares interfere?"

The Fairy Tail mages let out a massive sigh of relief. They thought for sure Natsu was a goner, but then again, he always found a way out of difficult situations. They then became just as confused as Nato; what was that thing on Nato's arm? They followed the shadow with their eyes until they saw the source and their eyes widened in amazement.

There, standing on the roof of a building, was Nikolias. He stood facing Nato and Natsu, the streak of shadow grasped firmly in his cocked right hand so as to prevent Nato's arm from continuing its motion. His lips were curled back to reveal fangs and a low growl could be heard escaping his mouth.

While still holding the shadow taught, Nikolias turned to look at his companions, allowing them to see that his eyes had gone dragon-like. "Remind me to talk to you and Natsu about timing, Gray," he said in a rough voice. It was clear from his tone and facial expression that he was annoyed.

"Sorry about that," Gray apologized, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Nikolias, you saved Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks.

Nikolias looked back over to where Natsu was. "Not yet I haven't," he grumbled.

The whole time the group was talking, Nato had been commanding the citizens to get out of the way and barking orders to his men to 'kill the pink haired one and then his friends'. The men were preparing to put Natsu down.

"Niky! Do something quickly!" Gracie shouted, worry clear in her voice.

Nikolias grunted. "Fuck, this wasn't supposed to be this difficult!" Using his free hand, Nikolias gathered shadows into his palm and quickly condensed it into an orb. Unlike the orb he showed Natsu, this one was large, at least twice the size of the first one. "SHADOW DRAGON PULSE!"

Nikolias fired the black orb directly at Nato, who was watching Natsu with fury written all over his face. He never saw the attack coming. It collided with him, sending him into the building directly behind him. Upon impact with Nato, the orb discharged, sending out a visible black wave of concussive power that knocked away all of the guards and flinging debris everywhere, creating a dusty smokescreen.

Nikolias created an opening and wasted no time. He released the shadow in his right hand and leapt forward at an incredible speed. He landed next to Natsu, scooped him up into his arms and leapt backwards towards the group. Upon landing, he gently handed Natsu over to Lucy.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out to the barely conscious boy in her arms. "Natsu, wake up! Are you alright?"

Natsu began to stir. "Wh…Wha? Where am I?"

"You're alright now, Natsu," Lucy soothed while petting his head. "Just relax now."

Suddenly, Natsu's eyes snapped open and he glared at Gray. "Alright snow balls, that was a lucky shot! Let's see you try that again!"

"Natsu, enough!" Erza scolded. "Now is not the time. You and Gray have made things bad enough already. Don't make it worse."

Natsu blinked. "What'd we do?"

"You collided with Nikolias and Gracie's mark," Erza explained.

"I did? Huh, I don't remember that."

Lucy looked at him through teary eyes. "You were seconds away from death! That guy was going to stab you while you were coming to. If not for Nikolias, you'd be dead right now."

Natsu looked at her apologetically. He never liked making her cry. "Sorry Luce." He turned to Nikolias, who was simply staring at the dust cloud. "Sorry Nikolias for having to be saved."

Nikolias wasn't listening, so Gracie stepped in. "It's alright, Natsu. I'm just glad that you're safe and that Niky intervened when he did. A second later and we'd have to add another name to Nato's list of crimes."

"Gracie, have Natsu and Gray made things more difficult?" Erza asked.

Gracie laughed nervously while scratching the back of her head. "Well…maybe a little."

"My apologies. That was never our intent when we went looking for you," Erza said bowing. She then proceeded to slam her fists on Natsu and Gray's skulls. Both boys cursed and rubbed their wounds.

Gracie smiled. "It's fine. Things are more difficult, but nowhere near impossible. We tend to like to stay in the shadows as long as possible and wait for the opportune moment. Niky was probably waiting for the civilians to clear out as much as possible before engaging any way. All this means is that we have to step up our plans a little bit."

Nikolias, never taking his eyes off of the dust cloud, spoke up. "So what's the plan now, Gracie?"

Gracie looked at the site of destruction. "Well my plan was to go Air-Ground when he was in a less populated area. However, seeing as how things have changed and we still have property and a population to think about, we have to treat this like the last one."

Nikolias sighed. "No signs of a dragon, huh?"

She nodded. "No signs of a dragon."

Nikolias sighed again. "One day I'll be able to cut loose, but I do understand the situation. The civilians and their homes and shops are the only reason why that Pulse was set to stun and not kill. So we're going with Ground-Ground?"

"That's our best option, yes."

Nikolias gave a nod and cracked his knuckles. "Alright, let's take 'em down then!" He clenched his fists and from his forearms appeared the black blades. He unclenched his fists and crouched down, prepared to pounce whenever he needed to.

Gracie nodded back. "That's the spirit!" She clapped her hands together and a golden glow enveloped her. She closed her eyes and held her arms out to the sides. "Come forth, katanas!" With a flash of brilliant light, two shapes began forming in Gracie's hands. After a couple seconds, they solidified and took the form of two long and simple blades. Gracie grabbed hold of the hilts and began twirling the blades in her hand.

The dust had finally dissipated and revealed Nato's bodyguards standing protectively around him. They had all drawn swords to prevent anyone from getting close and were prepared for a fight. The head of the bodyguards walked forward and took up point. He raised his sword and pointed it at Nikolias and Gracie. "Attack men! We must protect Lord Nato at all costs!" With a mighty war cry, the bodyguards charged.

Gracie smirked at their action. "You take the right side and I'll take the left. Meet in the middle. Let's do this, Niky!"

That was all the go-ahead Nikolias needed. In the blink of an eye, he was running head long into the mass of twenty-plus bodyguards with Gracie breaking off to fight her half.

Erza was dumbstruck. "Did Gracie use magic? I thought she wasn't a mage?"

Lucy was more concerned about the odds. "Can they win this fight? I mean, if Nikolias isn't using his dragon powers, that puts them at an even greater disadvantage."

Natsu crossed his arms. "I wanna fight, too," he pouted.

The four wizards were wary about their companions' chances in this fight. However, as soon as the fight began, they could only watch with amazement.

Gracie looked elegant with the swords in hand. Her motions were smooth, simple, and graceful, seemingly parrying and striking a lethal blow in one fluid swing. Bodyguard after bodyguard fell at her feet. They watched as Gracie never broke stride, seemingly dancing with her opponents. It was clear that there was masked power behind her movements. On top of that, her attacks were clean. Each time she landed a strike, the man would die instantly, but there was no blood that spurted wildly from the wounds. She made quick work of all of them, defeating her final opponent with a swift high kick to the sternum that knocked the man to the ground and finished him off with a quick plunge of a sword through the heart. She removed her blade from his flesh and swung it three times, shaking off any blood that stuck to the steel.

At the same time as Gracie, Nikolias was fighting his group. Unlike Gracie, Nikolias' moves were animalistic and even more powerful, swift, and deadly. Nikolias dodged attack after attack from all directions, looking for every possible opening to strike. Nikolias found that these men weren't as skilled with swords as he would have thought (of course, sparring with Gracie can lead to unrealistic expectations). With each swing, every man left themselves wide open to a lethal counter attack. Nikolias was running through these men without breaking a sweat, dodging a swing and dealing a deep cut of his own to a crucial artery or the neck. Some men, who were clearly the least skilled of the group, left themselves so vulnerable that Nikolias had no trouble swinging his arm and decapitating them with one swift motion. Soon, Nikolias was left with only the head bodyguard. Alas, even he was a disappointment. He charged blindly and Nikolias could only sigh as he took a small leap backwards to dodge and, as soon as his feet touched pavement, he dashed forward, cutting through the man's midsection completely with his blade. He turned and watched the overconfident man's upper half tumble forward, leaving the rest of his body and allowing blood to freely shoot into the air and pool on the ground.

Gracie shot Nikolias a smile over the carnage that lay before them. "That was easy!" she chirped.

Nikolias smiled back, sharp fangs glistening. "Heh, too easy. Kinda wanted a challenge. I severely overestimated these guys. They had no style or form whatsoever."

Gracie nodded. "I found that, too, but you shouldn't complain about this stuff being easy, Niky. Besides, now we can go for the big cheese." She glared at Nato who stood there, terrified.

Nikolias turned to face Nato, a loud growl escaping his curled lips. "I've been dying to hear those words."

Gracie nodded and then shot Nikolias a wry, sideways smile. "You do realize it's my turn this time, right?"

Nikolias' face fell. "Fuck, really? I get a small fry and you get _him_? Goddamn it!"

Gracie giggled. "A deal's a deal, Niky."

"I get the fuckin' Lacro weakling and you get a crime boss," Nikolias grumbled.

Gracie wagged her finger. "We shook on it. No take backs. Nato is my kill."

Nikolias sighed in defeat. "Fine. Like I fuckin' care. Go for it."

Gracie giggled again. "You are _so_ bad at hiding your frustration. You ready?"

Nikolias shot her a look. "For what? This is yours remember?"

Gracie smiled. "Yes it is. You were listening! Anyway, I don't want to find out what this guy can do because for all we know, it could be destructive. I want it to be quick and easy. The best way to do that is if he can't fight back."

A grin crept on Nikolias' face. "Since you don't want to see dragon moves, I can only assume you mean the Shadow Wave?"

Gracie winked at him. "Let 'er rip!" She then turned to her still stunned companions and whispered, "You may wanna cover your ears."

All of them did as instructed right before Nikolias took a deep breath and opened his mouth, releasing an ear-splitting shriek. Even through their covered ears, they could feel their minds clouding. Their vision started to blur and darken and they began wobbling where they stood.

Nato, who was unaware of what was coming, didn't cover his ears and paid dearly for it. As soon as the shriek was picked up by his ears, his brain immediately shut down, paralyzing him completely. He stood there, motionless, a look of pain and fear in his eyes.

Seeing that Nato was immobilized, Gracie shot forward, katanas at the ready. With a few swift and deep cuts to his ankles, shoulders, and spine, Gracie completely severed major tendons and the spinal cord. Nato fell to the ground in a heap, his body no longer able to support his weight. Gracie made a motion with her hand for Nikolias to stop, which he did instantly.

The wizards' and Happy's ears were still ringing as they tried to regain their balance and vision.

"Wh…What the…hell was…that?" Gray managed to ask.

"That sound…disoriented us…," Erza explained.

"My…My ears are bleeding," Lucy whined.

Natsu was unable to speak. The pain he felt was far more intense due to his heightened senses and he was hunched over, clutching his head. Seeing this, Lucy held him close and tried to soothe his pain.

Nikolias walked over to where Gracie was standing by Nato's panting body. "Nicely done, Gracie. He's not going anywhere," Nikolias complimented.

Gracie smiled. "Why thank you, Niky. I tried my best!" She looked back down at Nato, a frown plaguing her pretty face.

Nato looked up in fear. His senses were returning to him, but he could barely speak. "Pl…Plea…Please…wha...what do…yo…you…w…want? Money? P…Power? I c…can give it t…to you. Just p…please sp…spare me."

Nikolias threw his head back in laughter. "Amazing! Even a guy like this begs! Humans never cease to amaze." He glared back down at Nato. "Sorry pal, no take backs. Gracie?"

Gracie nodded. "Lord Darius Nato. Age 42 and unmarried. You are responsible for multiple acts of murder, kidnapping, assault, rape, disturbing the peace, and supplying dangerous services to others in order to harm innocent people. On top of that, you're a greedy asshole, but that can't be considered a reason to kill you, since the world is filled with greedy assholes. But don't worry, we still have plenty of legitimate reasons."

Nikolias crouched down so that he was close to Nato's face. "Bastards like you make me sick. You think because you have the money and power that you can just fuck with people's lives and get away with it? Sorry, but I can't stand back and watch that. You've made too many people suffer in your day. But congratulations on living 'til 42. That's big considering how long I've wanted to kill you."

Nato's face was filled with fear. Suddenly, the pain receptors in his body started to work again and the immense pain from Gracie's cuts hit him all at once, causing him to scream in agonizing pain.

Nikolias closed his eyes and smiled. "Ah, just what I was waiting for. Okay Gracie, shut this sorry excuse for a living creature up for good."

Without any sign of acknowledgement, Gracie plunged one of her katanas into Nato's throat, causing him to spit out large amounts of blood as he continued to scream. His body twitched as Gracie pulled out the katana and ceased all movement completely as she drove the blade through his black heart.

Nikolias stood up and sighed. "Another mission accomplished. I have to say, even though it wasn't my kill, I feel amazingly better."

Gracie wiped off her blade on a clean portion of a bodyguard's clothes. "Yeah, I feel great! It's the best when you get to take down a major bad guy."

Nikolias gave her a deadpanned look. "You're mocking me and it's not appreciated."

Gracie stuck out her tongue at him.

"Um, excuse me?"

Nikolias and Gracie turned to see an old man standing before them.

"Yes sir, how can we help you?" Gracie asked pleasantly.

The old man extended his hand. "I want to personally thank both of you for what you have done here today. You have freed this town from an awful plague and we could not be more grateful. This town can finally prosper again and the citizens can sleep peacefully at night knowing that that roach won't ever return."

Gracie gave him a bright smile and shook his hand. "It was our pleasure, sir. It's what we do after all. We aim to help the innocent."

The man nodded and broke the handshake. "Well you certainly have. Again my thanks and take care of yourselves." With that he bowed as low as he could, turned around and walked away. Nikolias smiled at the man's retreating figure.

"What are you smiling about?" Gracie asked, noticing her partner's sincere grin.

He turned to look at her. "Every now and then I'm reminded that there are still good humans out there and whenever I find them I can't help but smile."

Gracie gripped Nikolias' hand tightly. "See? Being human isn't all bad."

"I never said it was bad."

"Ok, well, do you think that you can start accepting humans more easily?"

Nikolias squeezed her hand back. "I think I'm getting there."

Over with the Fairy Tail mages, Natsu had finally returned to his senses and saw the old man thanking Nikolias and Gracie. After hearing the conversation, Natsu nodded. "See, I was right!"

"About what?" Lucy asked.

He kept looking at Nikolias and Gracie with a big grin. "They help protect people and that makes them awesome."

Lucy smiled as well. "Yeah, I guess they are pretty awesome."

* * *

The rest of the mission went off without a hitch. No one even attempted to disrupt the political function the next day, which made Nikolias laugh and say "I totally called that one". Natsu was extremely disappointed that he didn't get to fight at all on this mission and he was kicking himself for picking it. However, Gracie was quick to remind him that his fight with Gray counted as a fight which made Erza laugh.

Upon completion of the mission, the town paid twice as much as originally offered. Having heard what Nikolias and Gracie had done to Lord Nato, the town and its leaders wanted to make sure the two fighters knew how much their actions meant to the town. Nikolias and Gracie attempted to turn it down, saying that they didn't even clean up after themselves, but it was insisted. The mayor even said the townspeople didn't mind cleaning up the gore, which made Gracie laugh nervously. Lucy squealed with delight at the extra pay. Not only was their no damage to pay for, but she was actually getting paid double what she was expecting. She grinned greedily, imagining what she could do with the money left over after rent.

The group headed out of Freesia Town and back to Magnolia the next morning. The entire way back, Natsu pestered Nikolias about learning a new move, but Nikolias refused, saying it was punishment for turning what should have been a simple job into a total clusterfuck. Natsu pouted, but quickly redirected his attention to hearing about how Nikolias saved him. He was amazed at the power Nikolias used and wished he got to see it for himself.

Lucy, Gracie, and Erza had a nice talk about their shopping spree before all of the excitement. Lucy asked what Gracie planned on doing with the sword she had bought, to which she responded by saying that "it would be disposed of properly". Gracie then went on to pester Lucy about Natsu, making sure not to actually say his name since Natsu's dragon-like hearing would pick up on it. Lucy found herself blushing for most of the return journey, trying to vehemently deny all of Gracie's claims. Gracie giggled, knowing that she was right, but decided to leave it alone after multiple hours of harassment.

Erza decided to look into Gracie's use of magic. "Gracie, I thought that you said you weren't a mage?"

Gracie looked at her. "That's right, I'm not."

"But didn't you use magic to summon your katanas?"

"I did. It's a kind of requip magic."

"So then you _are_ a mage?"

"I never considered myself a mage. The only magic I use is to arm myself. Everything else is hard work and skill, so I see myself as a swordsman and a Dragon Master who happens to be able to use a small bit of magic."

Erza felt unsatisfied with this answer, but nodded to show understanding.

With the edge of Magnolia in their sights in the late afternoon light, the group let out a sigh after their long journey and couldn't wait to be back in the guild. Even Nikolias found himself smiling at the thought of being back in the guild.

Gracie, of course, picked up on this smile as well and when the rest of the group kept walking, she poked him in the ribs to get him to stop. "You're smiling, Niky."

He stopped and looked at her. "So what? Am I not allowed to smile?"

"You're allowed, but why are you smiling?"

"I have to have a reason? I can't just smile?"

"You're excited to go back to Fairy Tail, aren't you?"

He looked away. "It's not a bad place. And seeing as we just took out that Nato bastard, we could use a little break."

"Oh yay, we can stay!" Gracie clapped her hands together excitedly before a thought popped into her head and a mischievous smile took over her face. "Is that the only reason you want to stay?"

Nikolias looked at her, suddenly feeling very uneasy. "What are you getting at?"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain white haired mage, would it?" she teased.

Nikolias just huffed in response and kept walking.

Gracie giggled and followed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 6**

The tired group made its way back through the doors of Fairy Tail, led by a still energized Natsu. Upon hearing the doors open, everyone in the guild turned to see who entered. Gracie, who was tired but always friendly, smiled and waved excitedly. Everyone returned the smile and wave.

"We're back, everyone!" Natsu called out.

"We can see that, dumbass" Gajeel retorted.

"Oi, you wanna start something, needles?" Natsu shot back.

Gajeel's face twisted in anger. "What'd you call me?"

"Enough, Natsu," Erza interjected. "You've caused too much trouble lately."

"Trouble?" Makarov said, walking up to the returning group. "What trouble? Was the mission complicated?"

"No, Master, the mission itself went smoothly. There were no threats to the function. However, before the mission started, there was a small bit of trouble," Erza answered.

Makarov lifted an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

Erza turned toward Gracie. Erza was never one to withhold information from the Master, but she had become fond of Gracie and Nikolias and didn't want to cause them unnecessary grief by revealing secret information. However, when Gracie saw her uncertain gaze, she gave her a smile and a nod, indicating that it was alright to explain. Erza returned the smile and turned back to the Master. "Before the mission started, a major crime boss came to the town."

"Who?" Makarov asked intrigued.

"Lord Darius Nato."

"I've heard of him," Macao interrupted. "He's bad news. He's done a lot of terrible things to a lot of innocent people. Did you guys see him?"

"You could say that," Gray said.

"Did you engage this dangerous man?" Makarov asked. "He's known for having incredibly skilled bodyguards around him all the time."

"They didn't look too tough," Natsu laughed.

"Look?" Makarov asked, confused. "So you didn't stop him?"

"We didn't stop him, Master, but Gracie and Nikolias did," Erza said.

"So you arrested him?"

"Not…quite," Erza said.

Makarov was getting more confused. "Then what, Erza?"

Erza opened her mouth to explain, but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Gracie with her head down slightly as if she were sad. She looked up and gave Erza a small smile. "It's okay Erza, I'll take it from here." Erza nodded and stepped back.

"So Gracie, what happened?" Makarov asked her.

Gracie still looked sad, but she took a deep breath and summoned all of her courage. She didn't want to lose her new friends, but she knew she had to come clean with this information and let the chips fall where they may. "Niky and I took out Nato and his bodyguards."

Everyone in the guild gasped and began talking amongst themselves.

"Took out as in…killed?" Makarov asked incredulously.

Gracie nodded. "Niky and I kill criminals who have done wrong and have not paid for their crimes. We happened upon Nato while shopping and we took him out once his bodyguards were disposed of."

Makarov's eyes were wide. "You two alone took out all of them?"

Gracie nodded.

Makarov rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is a lot to take in. So what kind of trouble did Natsu cause?"

Erza took over again. "When Nikolias and Gracie ran off to pursue Lord Nato, we decided to find them and assist in any way we could. We found Gracie alone in an alley where she was planning the strategy while Nikolias tracked Lord Nato. We all went to find Nikolias and came across the town center. We couldn't see Nikolias and that led to a fight between Gray and Natsu. Gray kicked Natsu right into Lord Nato. That caused difficulties for Gracie and Nikolias and they had to change their plan in order to save Natsu from Lord Nato's wrath."

Makarov looked at Gracie. "So you saved Natsu?"

"Niky did," Gracie corrected.

Makarov looked at Nikolias. "Thank you for saving him, Nikolias."

Nikolias nodded. "Of course."

"Um, Master Makarov?" Gracie said quietly.

Makarov looked at her. "Yes, Gracie?"

"I understand that this is a lot to take in, but if you want Niky and I to leave, we will." Makarov didn't respond so Gracie continued. "I'm aware that killing people, no matter how evil they are, is not what you in Fairy Tail do. That being the case, if you're at all uncomfortable being associated with people like us, then we'll leave."

Makarov sighed and turned to the guild members behind him. "I believe that this is a guild decision. Does anyone here have a problem with Nikolias and Gracie staying?" Everyone in the guild looked at one another and began talking amongst themselves. After a little while, they all turned to look at the Master and shook their heads. Makarov nodded. "Good! Then the guild reflects my opinion."

Gracie looked at Makarov incredulously. "You're…all okay with it?"

Makarov smiled at her. "Of course, my dear. I don't see you as a threat and Nikolias even went out of his way to save one of our own. We would be more than happy to have you stay as long as you like."

Gracie was on the verge of tears. "Thank you, Master Makarov. You have no idea what this means to me…to us."

"I'm glad that you'll stay. Now, relax after a mission! Enjoy yourselves!" Makarov exclaimed and everyone cheered.

Gracie nodded and cheerfully skipped over to the bar to get some food and to talk to Mira. Nikolias sighed and went to join her.

"So you guys actually killed those people?" Mira asked.

"Yeah, but he was a bad man and the town was extremely grateful to us," Gracie said.

"We got paid double the money," Lucy said with stars in her eyes.

Mira turned and saw Nikolias walk over and sit at a stool. "What can I get for you, Nikolias?"

He looked at her and smiled. "I'm alright, thanks."

She nodded and turned back to Gracie. "So was it all Nikolias or were you fighting, too?"

"I fought with my katanas."

"Where are they, then?" Mira asked, looking around to find these swords.

"I use a type of Requip magic to arm myself."

"Oh, so you're like Erza?" Mira asked.

"Yes, she is," Erza said as she walked over. She then turned to Gracie. "Gracie, I would like to spar now if you're feeling up for it."

Gracie smiled. "Sure! Let's do it!" She stood up and followed Erza outside. Everyone else on the guild noticed this and followed them out, intrigued to see the two weapon experts duel.

Nikolias banged his head on the counter and groaned. "Can't we just rest?"

Mira giggled. "Sparring is customary here. You should get used to it if you're going to be staying here." Nikolias picked his head up and looked at Mira. He met her eyes and suddenly, she felt entranced again, like the first time she saw him. It was an odd feeling, one that she couldn't possibly describe. She tried to piece together what was happening. _'I feel warm, safe, comfortable. What is this?'_

Nikolias smiled at her and stood up. "Maybe you're right. Come on, let's go watch the fight."

Mira blushed and nodded. She walked from behind the bar and followed Nikolias out.

The entire guild made its way to the back fields where training took place. Once they all arrived, the spectators made sure to give the fighters plenty of room. Nikolias forced his way to the front so that he could watch his partner with Mira right beside him.

Erza and Gracie stood at opposite sides of one of the fields, both with confident smiles plastered to their faces.

"So what are the rules here?" Gracie inquired.

"One type of weapon each and we fight until the other yields or can no longer fight," Erza replied.

Gracie nodded. "Sounds good to me!" She clapped her hands together and, like before, she became enveloped by a golden aura. She closed her eyes and held out her arms to the sides. "Come forth, halberd!" With a flash of light, a shape began forming in Gracie's right hand. After a few seconds, the shape solidified and took the form of a long halberd. At the very tip of the six foot pole was a sharp black spike that glistened in the light of the setting sun. On one side of the pole was a wide black axe head that curved towards the bottom. On the other side was a black scythe-like hook. Gracie swung the halberd over her head before slamming it to the ground with surprising force. She winked at Erza. "Ready when you are!"

Erza nodded. "Requip!" With a flash of light, Erza was suddenly wearing her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Metal plates covered her chest, arms, hands, feet, and legs. On the back of the armor was two metal wings made of individual blades. She wore a skirt that had metal plating on the top half and the rest was blowing in the breeze. Her stomach and collarbone were uncovered, exposing her skin. In each hand, she gripped two long broad swords. She raised them both and smiled at Gracie. "Let's begin!"

Mira gently nudged Nikolias in the arm. "I think Gracie's in trouble. Erza went straight for her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Plus, Gracie's wearing no armor."

Nikolias looked at her and smiled. "Don't count Gracie out so soon, Mira. Her skill with that halberd is remarkable. She can take out whole armies with that thing. And in terms of armor, she only ever wears armor when she needs to seriously fight. Not to insult Erza's skill, but this fight will be difficult for her to win."

"You're really confident in Gracie's ability, aren't you?"

Nikolias looked towards Gracie. "I trust her with my life."

Mira smiled and turned to watch the fight begin.

Both sides remained unmoving as both appeared to be hastily analyzing everything they could about the other. Several minutes passed before anything even happened.

Gracie was the first to move. With incredible speed, she shot forward, halberd drawn back and ready to strike. Erza entered a defensive stance and was prepared to block. Gracie swung the halberd towards Erza, who easily blocked the strike. Seeing her attack fail, Gracie hopped backwards and prepared another assault. Like the first time, she ran forward, weapon drawn back and prepared to strike Erza again. However, Erza still easily blocked the attack and once again, Gracie hopped backwards. Again and again, Gracie did the same thing, charging Erza and striking from different angles and every time, Erza blocked it.

Nikolias chuckled from the sidelines, which made Mira turn to look at him. "Why are you laughing?"

He never took his eyes off of the fight, but still answered, "It's just funny. Gracie's totally toying with Erza."

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

"Gracie doesn't know a lot about that armor, so she's gathering information through her strikes. Once she knows enough, she'll get serious."

Erza was getting bored of blocking, so when Gracie charged the next time, she leapt backwards and flew into the air. Gracie looked up at her with fascination. "You can fly?"

Erza smirked and raised her arms. "Dance, my blades!" By using this command, swords magically appeared around Erza in a circle and began spinning rapidly before flying towards Gracie in a disc formation. Gracie jumped backwards to dodge the blades, but as soon as they hit the ground, they shot in different directions. Gracie was caught off guard, but managed to block the swords coming towards her with surprisingly quick movements with her halberd. Erza looked down at Gracie and smiled. "Not bad reflexes, Gracie."

Gracie smiled up at her. "And that's not a bad attack. Really caught me off guard. But now it's my turn to attack."

Erza cocked an eyebrow. _'Hasn't she been attacking this whole time?'_

Gracie crouched low, her halberd's shaft resting on her back as she gripped it with her right hand. She then sprang forward, charging Erza with the same incredible speed. By the time she was a few feet away from Erza, she leapt off the ground and was suddenly as high up as Erza. Erza was impressed by her ability to jump, but had to quickly snap back to the fight as Gracie gripped the shaft with both hands and swung the halberd down upon Erza. Erza was able to block the strike, but the force of the impact sent her crashing down into the ground. She got up and brushed off of the dirt and saw Gracie standing a few yards away, ready to strike again at a moment's notice.

"You're extremely talented, Gracie. This is certainly an entertaining fight," Erza called out.

Gracie smiled. "It really is! I can't remember the last time I had such a challenge. You might actually be someone that I could lose to and there aren't many people in that group."

"If I may ask, who have you lost to?" Erza asked.

Gracie pointed behind her. "Niky and that's it!"

Erza was stunned. "Nikolias is the only person to beat you?" A nod was her only answer. "Well that's impressive, but let's finish this fight and see if I can't be the second person to defeat you in battle."

Gracie giggled. "Alright, let's go!" Gracie charged forward again and Erza got into a defensive stance. However, Erza raised an eyebrow when she saw Gracie's smile widen. Gracie kept getting closer and began to swing her halberd. Erza made to block, but as soon as she began to move, Gracie performed some fancy footwork and was suddenly spinning her entire body out of Erza's range. Erza stared in disbelief as Gracie ended up behind her, her arm still swinging the halberd with such speed that Erza had no time to react. The flat of the halberd smashed into Erza's unprotected back, causing Erza to yell in pain and collapse to the ground. Gracie placed a foot on her plated shoulder blades with enough pressure to keep her down. She giggled again. "Do I win?"

Erza chuckled. "Not yet. SWORD REQUIPPING!" Suddenly, hundreds of swords appeared in the air, all of them pointed at Gracie. Gracie stared at them in disbelief. "Let's see how you block this!"

"Shit," Gracie mumbled, but she stood her ground, her foot still firm on Erza's back.

"Wow, Erza's really getting into this. I've never seen her use this move on a single target," Mira commented. "Gracie fought well, Nikolias, but it looks like this is Erza's fight."

Nikolias just smiled and said, "Not yet."

The swords in the air began flying towards Gracie at incredible speed. She gripped her halberd tightly and began swinging it over her head. "Bring it on!" she cried. As the swords came closer and closer, Gracie stopped swinging her weapon and held it in front of her horizontally. She waited patiently for the blades to get even closer. When they were nearly upon her, she cried out, "NOW!" With practically inhuman speed, Gracie swung the halberd around, knocking away sword after sword. The entire guild's jaws dropped as each and every sword was knocked away before it could do any harm to Gracie.

Mira looked shocked, which made Nikolias laugh. "Told you it's not over yet."

Gracie kept swinging her halberd around, but her panting was becoming more and more audible; she was clearly tiring. _'Not yet, Gracie. Keep going.'_

Erza couldn't believe what she was seeing. "How…?"

As more and more swords approached her, Gracie's movements never slowed. The entire ground was littered with swords. As the final sword came at Gracie, she let out a yell and batted it away, sending it flying into a tree. The entire guild looked on in amazement as Gracie stood on top of Erza, panting amongst a field of blades. Gracie looked down at Erza, a tired smile on her face. "Do I win now?"

Erza was silent for a while, but eventually sighed. "Yes, I yield. You win."

Everyone in the guild began talking amongst themselves. They couldn't believe what they saw; Titania had lost a battle of weapons. Nikolias was grinning from ear to ear and Mira was staring in shock. Natsu, Lucy, and Gray's jaws were on the floor. Makarov was scratching his chin. Gracie walked slowly back over to the group with a fatigued smile on her face. "I won, Niky! Man, that was a tough fight. That last move drained me."

Nikolias gave her a thumbs-up. "Very impressive, Gracie. You showed impressive speed and skill."

"Aw, thanks Niky!"

"A truly magnificent battle, Gracie," Makarov complimented. "I don't know many people who could defeat Erza, especially using weapons."

"Yes, you were fantastic, Gracie," Erza said as she walked over. "I was hoping for a good fight like that. I hope to do it again sometime."

Gracie gave a nod. "Absolutely! That was a lot of fun."

"Wow, Erza lost?" Lucy said in disbelief. "Gracie, you really are good."

"Thanks, Lucy!"

Natsu punched his palm. "I'm all fired up after that fight! Nikolias, I challenge you to a fight!"

Everyone looked at Natsu. Nikolias raised an eyebrow. "No offense, Natsu, but I don't think that's a good idea. You're strong, but I don't wanna risk seriously hurting you."

Natsu walked over to him. "C'mon, you scared?"

"Yes," he said simply.

Natsu was taken aback by this. "Why?"

"It's hard to hold back, especially when I'm having fun. I could seriously hurt you."

"Nikolias, if you want to fight, go for it. Believe me; Natsu can take care of himself. It's alright," Makarov assured.

Nikolias looked at Gracie, who gave him a nod. He sighed and turned to Natsu. "Alright, if you're sure you really want to go through with this, I'll fight."

Natsu jumped into the air in excitement and ran onto the field in a space free of swords.

Nikolias turned to Gracie. "What are my restrictions here?"

"Avoid transformations. Just stay completely human. In terms of attacks, just avoid any that you would consider a last resort," Gracie responded and Nikolias nodded to show understanding before walking onto the field.

"Good luck, Nikolias!" Mira called out, which was echoed by many of the other girls.

Nikolias looked over his shoulder and shot Mira a smile before giving everyone a wave of thanks.

Gracie giggled. "What a ladies' man."

Nikolias stood opposite of Natsu, who was grinning excitedly.

"I've wanted to fight you for a while, Nikolias."

Nikolias smiled. "Thanks…I guess. Are you sure you want to do this, though?"

Natsu gave him a quick nod. "Hell yeah!"

"Well then, let's get started."

Over on the sidelines, Lucy was watching in nervous anticipation. "Gracie, is Natsu going to be okay?"

Gracie put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Niky knows how to hold back. Everything will be fine."

Now Mira looked worried. "But doesn't that mean Nikolias is in trouble if he has to hold back power?"

Gracie laughed. "Trust me when I say that everything will be fine. No one will get seriously hurt, but Natsu is simply too inexperienced to pose a threat to Niky."

"Are you sure, Gracie? Natsu has developed very quickly in his time with this power," Makarov questioned.

Gracie looked at him with a smile. "Natsu is strong, but you'll soon see why he just can't measure up."

Makaorv nodded and everyone turned to watch the fight.

Natsu enveloped his hands in fire and charged. "Here I come, Nikolias! FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Nikolias chuckled, but made no attempt to move. "You'll never win just charging in like that."

"We'll just see!" Natsu shouted as he threw a punch at Nikolias.

However, as soon as the punch was about to hit, Nikolias ducked and positioned himself underneath a tumbling Natsu. "This is why you should plan first. SHADOW DRAGON FIERCE KICK!" Nikolias' foot became enveloped in shadow as he shot his foot upward into Natsu's stomach. The force of the kick knocked the wind out of Natsu as he went flying into the air.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out.

"Don't worry, Lucy, he's fine," Gracie comforted. "That kick hurts like a motherfucker, but Nikolias avoided any organs or bones. Natsu just had the wind knocked out of him."

Natsu hit the ground hard. He shakily got to his feet as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. "Damn that was a solid kick."

"You left yourself open, Natsu. Try to plan your moves out and solidify weak points and blind spots," Nikolias said.

Natsu spit off to the side. Planning was not his style. He narrowed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Try this then! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu unleashed a column of fire towards Nikolias.

Nikolias sighed. "Still no planning." At the last moment, Nikolias jumped high into the air. "You call that a Roar? Here's a Roar!" While in the air, Nikolias began gathering shadows into his mouth. "SHADOW…" He threw his head back as he inhaled deeply. "…DRAGON ROAR!" Nikolias unleashed a massive vortex of shadows that was at least three times the size of Natsu's Roar. The attack barreled towards Natsu and he tried jumping out of the way, but the force of the Roar still knocked him away. His back hit a tree and he crumpled to the ground.

Nikolias stood in a crater created by his Shadow Dragon Roar. "Not bad, Natsu. I would have thought that would hit you full on."

Natsu slowly got up. "I ain't giving up, Nikolias."

Nikolias scratched the back of his head. "Really? I would be willing to fight again after you train some more, but right now, you're just being reckless. Just surrender and try again another day."

"Hell no! I'm gonna beat you right here! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu unleashed another pillar of flames at Nikolias.

Instead of jumping to dodge, Nikolias raised his hand and shouted, "SHADOW WALL!" A thick wall of shadows rose from the ground and completely blocked the flames. Once Natsu's attack stopped, he lowered the wall only to see Natsu flying towards him with his fist drawn back.

"Eat this! FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu fired his fist towards Nikolias.

Nikolias was surprised, but was still able to react in time, just managing to avoid the fist and once again positioned himself underneath Natsu. "Very nice combination, Natsu! You really almost had me there. But this fight needs to end now." With that, Nikolias enveloped his foot in shadow again. "SHADOW DRAGON FIERCE KICK!" Once again, Natsu was kicked in the stomach with immense force, sending his breathless body into the air. However, instead of allowing Natsu to fall to the ground like the last time, Nikolias leaped into the air after him. Once he was beside him in the air, he gave Natsu a smile. "You have promise, Natsu, but you're too reckless and you need to learn from failures. Now it's over. SHADOW DRAGON BARRAGE!" Nikolias unleashed a series of rapid fire punches that connected with Natsu's body over and over. None of the spectators could see the punches, but they could see the impact they were having on Natsu's frame. After several seconds of punching Natsu, Nikolias drew back his fist and unleashed a final powerful blow that sent Natsu crashing to the ground at high speed. Nikolias landed easily beside him.

Natsu groaned as he attempted to get up. "Damn it, did you hit me with a truck?"

Nikolias laughed. "Not quite." He leaned down and draped Natsu's arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's get you some medical attention. I let loose a bit more than I should have."

Lucy ran up to Natsu and Nikolias. "Natsu! Are you alright?"

Natsu gave her a smile. "Yeah, Luce, I'm good. Just a little tired."

"Lucy, would you mind taking him somewhere he can get some treatment?" Nikolias asked. Lucy nodded and Nikolias shifted Natsu over to her. She walked slowly away with Natsu, a worried Wendy right behind her.

"You were awesome, Niky!" Gracie exclaimed.

"I can't believe how strong you are," Mira said. "Natsu really never stood a chance."

"Man, Nikolias, that was a ruthless beating," Gajeel commented.

Nikolias scratched his nose. "Well, he needs to learn to not leave himself so open. There's no way I should have been able to give him two of the same move. He does have power, though, and he can combine them well. He has skill, that's for sure. He just needs time to work on planning. It could make him far more dangerous."

"Well, those were both entertaining fights, even if both of my children fell," Makarov commented. "Could I ask something of the both of you?"

Gracie and Nikolias looked at each other before nodding.

"Is it at all possible for you two to work separately on missions? After seeing you two fight, I feel like your skills could be beneficial to other teams."

"Well, we'd be happy to do missions for you, but…," Nikolias started. He wasn't sure how he felt about doing missions without Gracie.

"Don't be silly, Niky. We can manage a few missions apart here and there, right?" Gracie asked.

Nikolias looked at her. He felt very uneasy about this whole idea, but he did like the people of Fairy Tail, so perhaps he could manage. "Alright, we can work separately. Whatever you need, Master."

Makarov clapped his hands together. "Excellent! This helps a lot. Don't be afraid to do missions whenever you want and with whomever you want. Now, I'm going to check in on Natsu. Gracie, Erza, and Nikolias, you should rest up after your sparring matches." With that he walked back to the guild with everyone following him in, leaving Gracie and Nikolias alone on the field.

"Well, I certainly think that we can have some fun here! Challenging and friendly sparring, missions for money, and they accept us for what we do outside of the guild," Gracie said.

"Yeah, you're right. It's a great place. Come on, you should rest. Erza made you work really hard," Nikolias said, motioning her inside.

They walked in through the guild doors and saw Makarov and Mira standing there waiting for them, each of them holding a small wooden stamp.

"Master, what are those?" Gracie asked.

Makarov smiled up at her. "If you are willing, I would like to mark you both with the insignia of Fairy Tail, making you both official members of Fairy Tail."

Both of them stared at Makarov in disbelief. "You…want us to officially join?" Nikolias asked.

"Absolutely."

They looked at each other again. Gracie was glowing with excitement. Nikolias could see in her eyes how badly she wanted him to agree. Nikolias sighed and nodded, causing Gracie to squeal.

"Master Makarov, if you'll have us, we would be honored to join Fairy Tail," Gracie said, her voice trembling with excitement.

"Excellent!" Makarov said as he walked over to Gracie. "Where would you like your insignia?"

Gracie pointed to her left shoulder. She was usually wearing tank tops, so she figured that people could always see it. Makarov nodded and placed the stamp on her left shoulder. When he removed the stamp, a forest green Fairy Tail insignia was left behind. Gracie smiled as she looked at it, thinking about how well the color went with her blonde hair.

Mira walked up to Nikolias with a big smile on her face. "And where would you like yours?" Nikolias pointed to the left side of his neck and she nodded. She placed the stamp on his neck, taking the opportunity to support her weight by pressing her free hand against his chest. She could feel her heart beating faster just from the touch and she fought mentally against the blush that was threatening to show on her face. _'He's so strong and his muscles feel incredible...wait, is his heart beating faster?'_ Mira pulled the stamp (and regrettably, her hand) away from Nikolias, revealing a gold Fairy Tail insignia. Mira smiled at him, "Like your eyes."

Nikolias looked at her and smiled. "Thank you, Mira."

She nodded. "Well, I'm going back to the bar. Both of you should swing by if you need anything." She turned and made her way back behind the counter. Makarov followed to get a beer.

Gracie flung her arms around Nikolias' neck. "Can you believe it? We belong somewhere, Niky! This is fantastic!"

Nikolias placed a hand on her arm. "Yeah, it's great, Gracie. Now let's go get some rest."

"Sounds good. Tomorrow we should find an easy mission to do with other people and see how we like it. If we don't then we'll know to always stick together."

"That's a good idea, but of course I would expect nothing less from you."

She removed her arms and grabbed his hand. "Well come on, I'm beat. Let's go to our rooms and get some shut eye."

Nikolias nodded and allowed her to lead him upstairs. He was completely oblivious to all of the eyes that were on him as he made his way upstairs, each set screaming _'I want to go on a mission with him!'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 7**

It was as noisy as ever in Fairy Tail the next day, but for a much different reason. Instead of everyone in the guild talking and laughing and brawling like they always did, all of the men sat and watched as half of the female Fairy Tail members were arguing. The only ones not present in the group of women were Lucy, Erza, Levy, Juvia, Bisca, Wendy, Gracie, and Mira.

Makarov sat on the counter in front of Mira, drinking a beer and sighing at the sight before him. He could honestly say that he never saw this coming. Macao leaned on the counter next to him and, while watching the girls bicker among themselves, asked, "Master, are you sure having Nikolias and Gracie separate for missions was the best idea? It seems like all of the girls in the guild are fighting over who gets to work with Nikolias now."

Makarov scratched his chin. "Well, I can say that it never occurred to me that this would happen. But at least it's not all of the girls."

"The only ones not in there are the girls who are into other guys," Macao deadpanned. "In just a few days time, Nikolias has managed to swoon all of the single females in the guild." He sniffed and wiped away some tears. "It's not fair!"

Makarov patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Well, Mira is still here, isn't she? Perhaps it's a sign that things won't last."

Mira smiled to hide her thoughts. _'The only reason I'm not over there arguing is because I have to tend to the bar. It's not fair…'_

Macao sighed. "Hopefully you're right."

"Hey Master! Macao! Mira!" Gracie called out happily as she walked over.

"Good morning, Gracie. How did you sleep?" Makarov asked.

"Like a log. The past few days tuckered me out. Thanks for letting Niky and I sleep in the guild while we find a place. So what's going on over there?" Gracie asked as she pointed to the arguing girls.

Makarov chuckled. "They're all fighting over who gets to work with Nikolias today."

Gracie laughed hysterically. "Really? Holy shit, that's hysterical! I understand that Niky is popular with the girls here, but arguing over who gets to work with him first? That's too funny!" She wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes and started towards the group. "I'm gonna see if I can quell this ordeal."

Makarov, Macao, and Mira watched as Gracie tried to stop the arguing that had been happening for the past hour, assuring each and every girl that Nikolias would work with them eventually. She seemed to be making progress, but it was slow progress since all of the girls wanted to work with Nikolias today. Makarov sighed. "Macao, let's see if we can lend a hand."

Macao nodded. "Right! Let's show them that there are more suitable men in Fairy Tail!" He made his way into the group. Makarov sweat-dropped as he watched Macao confidently charge in, but shrugged it off and followed him. Mira giggled as she watched the two men and Gracie attempt to break up the group.

Nikolias walked down the stairs and, upon reaching the bottom, stopped and stared at the group of bickering females, Makarov, Macao, and his partner. He shrugged and decided that he didn't really care what was going on and made his way to the bar for some breakfast. None of the girls even noticed him walk by.

Mira smiled as she saw Nikolias walk over and sit down on a stool. "Good morning, Nikolias. How did you sleep last night?"

"Very well, thank you," he said, giving Mira a smile. "Could I have something to eat please?"

"Of course! What would you like?"

"Bacon and eggs?"

"Coming right up!" Mira walked into the kitchen to get his food.

Nikolias turned around in his stool to watch the small portion of the female Fairy Tail population argue with each other and invade each others' personal space. He chuckled, "What the hell is going on over there?"

"They're fighting over you."

Nikolias turned back around to see Mira standing in front of him with his food on the counter. He looked at the food and a low deep hum escaped his throat. "Thanks Mira. This looks delicious!" He picked up his fork and started eating his eggs. "Tastes fantastic, too!" He swallowed the food in his mouth before asking, "So what do you mean they're fighting over me?"

"As soon as you and Gracie accepted the Master's request to split up for missions, most of the girls decided that they wanted to work with you. Apparently earlier this morning, someone mentioned that they were going to work with you today and it turned into this." She motioned to the thinning group of shouting girls.

Nikolias laughed but said nothing as he continued to devour his food.

"Hey there, Niky!"

Nikolias looked over his shoulder to see Gracie walking over to the bar. "Hey Gracie. Did ya have fun with that mess over there?" he asked with food in his mouth.

"Yeah, those girls sure can fight. I guess it comes with being a mage. So have you decided on who you're going to work with today? You pretty much have your pick of anyone in the guild, especially the girls."

Nikolias swallowed his food and shook his head. "No, I haven't decided or even really thought about it. How about you?"

Gracie nodded excitedly. "Erza asked me to do a job with her. It's a really easy job over the course of a few days, but she says she wants to use as much time as possible to talk weapons with me. It'll be so much fun!"

Nikolias smiled. "I'm glad you're so excited. You and Erza working together is a pretty deadly combination."

Gracie smiled back. "Well you should pick someone soon and decide a mission. Don't waste the whole time missing me. Well, I'm taking off now. Bye Niky!" She hugged him and then ran to the door where Erza was waiting.

Nikolias watched her leave before returning to his meal.

Mira looked at him sadly. "Are you alright?"

He looked at her and gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just that Gracie and I haven't been apart in ten years. It'll be odd not having her around."

Mira placed her hand gently on his. "It's only a couple days and you'll be on a mission so the time will fly by. Plus, you're part of Fairy Tail now. We're your family and you can lean on us whenever you need to."

Nikolias put down his fork and placed his hand on top of hers. "Thanks, Mira. I'll remember that." They stayed like that for a while before Nikolias lifted his hand to continue eating. He scooped up some eggs on his fork, but before he put the food in his mouth, he stopped and put the fork back down. "Hey Mira?"

"Yes?"

Nikolias looked at her. "Would you like to go on a mission with me?"

She looked at him in surprise as her heart began to race. "You…want to go on a mission with _me_?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but only if you want to. I understand if you're busy here or have other plans. This is kinda last minute."

She shook her head violently. "No I want to and I have no plans. I'd love to go on a mission with you! Thank you for asking me. Did you have a mission in mind?"

"No, I thought whoever I worked with could pick one since I'm not too familiar with how things work around here."

"Okay, well I'll go take a look at the board and find one that looks good!" She ran from behind the bar over to the mission board and began scanning the papers.

Nikolias returned to his food and ate in silence, smiling. He quickly finished his meal, stood up from his seat, and stretched.

"I found one!" Mira called out excitedly. "What do you think?"

Nikolias turned to face her and took the paper from her to read it.

**"MONSTER SIGHTED NEAR SHIROTSUME TOWN. PLEASE SEND MAGES TO RID US OF IT. OFFERING 10,000 JEWELS."**

Nikolias looked at Mira and smiled. "Sounds perfect! When would you like to head out?"

"Well, it's about 10 AM now, so how about after lunch?"

He nodded. "Great. I'll meet you at the gate at 12:30."

"Okay."

Nikolias gave her one last smile before heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He looked over his shoulder as he walked and winked, causing Mira to blush lightly. "Last minute training."

She smiled as she watched him walk out. _'I'm going on a mission with Nikolias!'_

* * *

It was about 11:30 AM when Erza and Gracie stopped for a quick lunch break. They had been talking the entire trip about weapons and fighting style. Erza had asked Gracie to show her some footwork techniques to enhance her sword fighting and Gracie asked Erza to show her some magic that could help her to fight better. The two were becoming quite close.

"So what's this job asking for again?" Gracie asked as she finished up her sandwich.

"Just helping to clean up a shop that was trashed by bandits and acting as protection in case they return," Erza replied. "I figured that this was an easy enough job that we could really talk a lot about out weapon styles."

Gracie nodded. "Sure sounds that way."

"So are you doing okay?"

Gracie tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I understand that you haven't really been apart from Nikolias. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't too sad."

Gracie giggled. "It's true that Niky and I haven't been apart once since the day we met, but I'm not sad and I'm sure he isn't either. This could be good for us and good for our partnership. We need to be able to rely on others in case something happens to one of us in the future."

"How can you be so sure that Nikolias is okay? I thought that he wasn't comfortable with other people."

"Yeah, but he'll ask someone that he feels comfortable with and that he trusts. One day, that will be everyone in Fairy Tail, but right now it's only a select few."

"Who are these select few, if I may ask?"

Gracie thought about it. "Based on his reactions, behaviors, speech patterns, etc, I would say the list is comprised of myself, you, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Mira."

Erza raised an eyebrow. "I understand most of the people on that list since we all did a mission together, but why is Mira on that list? Don't get me wrong; she's strong, reliable, and kind, but what makes him feel comfortable around her?"

Gracie smiled at her. "On top of everything you just said, Niky says that she reminds him of someone that he once knew."

* * *

Mira had just finished cleaning up the counter when she looked at her watch. The time said 12:34 PM and Mira cursed under her breath. "I'm late!" She picked up her packed bag and quickly ran from behind the counter and towards the door. She hoped that Nikolias didn't leave without her.

"Hey Mira, where you goin'?"

Mira stopped and saw Cana and a few of the other girls sitting at a table.

"Just going on a mission," she replied quickly. "But I'm leaving later than I wanted to, so sorry that I can't stay and chat."

"A mission? Where to?" Cana asked.

"Shirotsume."

"Shirotsume? That's kind of far, Mira," Lisanna said worriedly. "Are you at least going with someone?"

Mira didn't want her sister to worry, so she responded without thinking. "Yes, I will have company." As soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly put her hand up to cover her mouth, which only made the girls suspicious.

"Who are you travelling with?" Cana asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Umm…E…Elfman."

"Really? I'm fairly sure brother said that he was going on a mission yesterday and he hasn't returned yet," Lisanna said.

"You lied, Mira," Cana said. "Which means one thing; you're going on a mission with Nikolias, aren't you?"

All the girls shot her death glares, causing her to step back. "He asked me so I said yes. It's not that big of a deal," Mira said defensively.

"Yes it is!" Laki interrupted. "It's not fair. You weren't even part of the fight this morning over who got to work with him today. You didn't stake a claim, so you shouldn't be in the pool."

"He's not a piece of land," Mira said flatly. "He can work with whomever he chooses and he decided to ask me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late and I don't want to keep Nikolias waiting." She turned on her heel and bolted out the door, ignoring all of the glares she was getting.

"Lucky bitch," Cana muttered under her breath as she threw back another beer.

Mira approached the gate and looked around, but couldn't see Nikolias anywhere. She palmed her forehead in frustration. "I can't believe I messed up my chance."

"Hey, there you are." Mira looked up and saw Nikolias sitting on the gate post. "I was wondering if you were even gonna show."

"I'm so sorry that I'm late. I was cleaning up and…"

Nikolias laughed. "Mira, you don't have to apologize. You're only a few minutes late and I understand that you have responsibilities. I was just joking around. We'll just leave now, no harm done."

Mira smiled and nodded, relieved that she hadn't blown it. "Okay!"

Nikolias hopped down from his perch and landed softly in front of Mira. "Alright, let's go then."

"But what about your bags?"

"Oh, right." He jumped back onto the gate post, grabbed a small bag, and hopped back down again. "Now I'm ready."

Mira giggled as they headed out.

* * *

They arrived in Shirotsume late in the evening and instantly made their way to a hotel where they could stay.

Mira was smiling the whole trip. Nikolias was a much better conversationalist than he ever let on and she was thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know him better. They talked about their abilities for most of the time. Nikolias was very interested to hear about Mira's magic, Take Over. Mira blushed when he mentioned how alike their powers were. Nikolias then went into more detail about his dragon powers, explaining what kind of things he could do in each form and what kind of combinations he and Gracie do. Mira listened intently to his stories of his adventures with Gracie. She secretly hoped that she would get the opportunity to see Nikolias' full dragon form soon. This conversation took up the whole trip and they were soon walking through the gates of the town.

They walked through the hotel doors and made their way to the counter. Unfortunately, there was a line for check-in.

"You stay here and get us some rooms. I'll go meet with the client real quick and let him know that we've arrived and that we'll start first thing tomorrow," Nikolias said. Mira nodded and he turned and left the hotel.

After several minutes, Mira finally made it to the counter. "Hello and welcome to the Shirotsume Hotel. How may I help you?" the clerk asked.

Mira gave her usual sweet smile. "Hello. I would like two single rooms for the night please."

The clerk punched in the request and then shook his head. "I'm sorry Miss, but we're apparently all out of single rooms."

"No singles? What about doubles?"

The man entered the new request. "We do have one double room still available. I apologize for the limited availability, but there's a festival in town tomorrow and we tend to have a lot of visitors."

Mira thought about this, but realized there was no other choice. "It's fine. I'll take the double room, please."

The man nodded and handed Mira two keys. "Your room is 321. Enjoy your stay!"

Mira thanked the man and stood by the lobby door to wait for Nikolias to return.

About ten minutes later, Nikolias returned and walked over to where he saw Mira standing. "Sorry that took so long. The guy wouldn't shut up."

Mira giggled. "It's alright. Here's our room." She handed him one of the keys.

Nikolias took the key and raised an eyebrow. "Room? As in singular?"

Mira nodded. "They had no singles left and only one double. Sorry, it's all that was available."

Nikolias scratched the back of his head. "It's fine. We can make it work. Lead the way."

Mira nodded and led Nikolias to the room they would be staying in. The whole way, she was blushing at the thought of sharing a bed with Nikolias.

They reached room 321 and Mira unlocked the door. She stared at the beautiful room in front of her. The walls were painted white and there was a lovely double bed with elegant woodwork pressed up against the back wall. There was a clean and rather large bathroom near the door with a bath and a shower. She looked down to admire the blue carpet and she could tell just by looking at it that it was very soft. There was even a large window that allowed them to look out at the surrounding woods.

The two walked in and placed their belongings on the floor. Nikolias turned to Mira. "So which side of the bed would you like; window or door?"

Mira blushed at his question. Even though she knew the whole time that they would be sharing a bed, the fact that he acknowledged it made the whole thing seem more real and far more exhilarating. "I'll take the window if you don't mind."

Nikolias nodded and grabbed a change of clothes from his bag. "I'm going to shower and change. I'll be out in a little while." Mira nodded and he walked into the bathroom and locked the door.

Mira heard the water turn on as she collapsed onto her side of the bed. She tried to run through the plan for the mission tomorrow, but her thoughts were constantly disrupted by the thoughts of Nikolias in the shower…naked. She shook her head, trying to relieve herself of those thoughts. _'Control yourself, Mira! You're going to be sharing a bed with him so you can't have dirty thoughts.'_ Try as she might, though, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering. She groaned and put a pillow over her head.

"You okay?"

Mira tore the pillow off of her face and her face instantly went red. Nikolias had finished his shower, his dark brown hair messy from being dried off. There was still some moisture that clung to his skin, making his muscles shine in the light. What made Mira so red, though, was the fact that he was in nothing but a tight white T-shirt and boxers.

Nikolias looked at her questioningly. "Mira? Hello, are you okay?"

Mira shook her head violently and covered her eyes. This was not helping her to remove all of her dirty thoughts. "I'm fine but…you're not wearing very much…" she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. If you're this bothered by it, I can find something else to put on. We're going to be in the same bed tonight, so I don't want you to feel uneasy."

"No it's…it's okay. I was just surprised."

"No you're clearly uncomfortable. Hold on, I'll see what else I can throw on."

"No it's really okay!" she shouted, perhaps a little too loud.

Nikolias chuckled. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm going to take a shower now."

"Okay, enjoy."

Mira grabbed her night clothes and went into the bathroom. She locked the door and turned on the water before allowing a massive sigh to escape. She couldn't believe how much sexier Nikolias looked in nothing but underwear. She had felt her entire body begin to tingle with excitement and she could have sworn that another minute of seeing Nikolias wearing that would have made her lose control.

She jumped into the shower and allowed some cold water to hit her back. The feeling was unpleasant and made her breaths stick in her throat, but it was calming her down significantly. Once she felt more at ease, she turned on the hot water and took a nice relaxing shower.

She left the bathroom in her pink nightgown, all ready for bed and saw Nikolias still awake, staring out the window. She noticed he put on some pants, but still wore the same tight shirt. "You okay, Nikolias?"

He turned back around and smiled. "Yeah, just enjoying the view." Mira blushed as his eyes met hers. "And you? That was a pretty big sigh before."

Mira became even redder. "You heard that?"

Nikolias pointed to his ears. "Dragon hearing. You know, if you were uncomfortable coming with me, you didn't have to say yes."

"No, I really did want to come. I'm just tired, that's all. It was a long trip."

Nikolias nodded, even though he didn't quite believe her. "Alright, we'll get some sleep then." He walked over to the bed and climbed in, lying on his back and immediately closing his eyes.

Mira stood there, blush still staining her cheeks, feeling unable to move her legs. She wanted to get in bed with Nikolias, but she was afraid that her lustful feelings would make her do something that she would regret.

Nikolias opened an eye and looked at her. "I can sleep on the floor if that will make things easier for you."

Mira snapped out of her stupor and shook her head violently. "No, I'm alright. I just spaced out, that's all." She finally made her way to the bed and climbed in, turning her back to Nikolias. She closed her eyes and begged sleep to come quickly. _'Please, I don't want to ruin anything. I don't think he's ready for something serious yet, so please, let me be patient.'_

Nikolias stared at Mira's back and quietly chuckled. _'You really do remind me so much of her,'_ he thought with a smile. He then closed his eyes as well and fell asleep.

* * *

_Nikolias opened his eyes slowly. He could barely see, darkness overwhelming his vision. He tried to move, but found it painful to even lift a finger. He forced himself to sit up and screamed as pain ripped through his entire body._

_ "Why did that hurt?"_

_ He looked down at his hands and his eyes went wide. There was blood all over his hands, forearms, biceps…_

_ It was then that he realized that he was sitting in a pool of his own blood. His eyes scanned the situation, fear beginning to take over. He was covered in blood, he was in immense pain, he was sitting in his own blood…what the hell happened to him?_

_ He forced himself to his feet, nearly slipping multiple times from the blood-stained floor and from lack of strength. He tried to straighten up as much as he could, but the pain had him doubled-over constantly._

_ He wanted to get an idea of where he was so he tried to see through the darkness. His eyes were slowly adjusting and he began to see people lying around him._

_ "Hey, are you guys awake? Do you know what happened? Where are we? Why am I cov…" He stopped as his eyes fully adjusted and his eyes once again widened with fear._

_ All around him were corpses. All of them were lying in their own blood. All of them were staring at him with lifeless eyes._

_ "No…no…no, no, no, NO!" he cried, tears washing away the blood and staining his cheeks before falling to the floor. He felt sorrow take over the fear as he took in the sight before him. "How could this happen? I don't…I don't understand! Why are you…why are you all dead? What happened to you?" The tears were falling faster and faster._

_ Suddenly, rage began to overtake the sorrow._

_ And then everything went red._

* * *

"Nikolias! Nikolias, wake up!"

Nikolias' eyes shot open. He turned his head slightly to see a very concerned Mira staring down at him. "M…Mira? What…What's wrong?"

"You were making a lot of noise and moving around a lot. Plus, you're sweating like crazy." She leaned down and hugged him tightly, pressing her face against his broad chest. "That must have been some nightmare you were having."

"Yeah…a nightmare," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her slim frame.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so. Why?"

"You're shivering."

"I guess I'm just cold."

"I'll help warm you up," she said as she hugged him tighter. "Is that better?"

He smiled. "Much better. Thank you, Mira."

"Of course."

"Hey Mira?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being here with me."

She blushed as she buried her head deeper into his chest. "I'm happy to be here."

"I'm glad."

"Was the nightmare really that scary?"

He hugged her tighter, wanting to keep her close. "Terrifying."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 8**

The morning sun showered the room with a soft light, causing Mira to stir from her sleep. She was too comfortable to even attempt moving right now, so she readjusted slightly and snuggled into her warm body pillow. A low rumble gently sent vibrations through Mira's body and she smiled at the pleasant feeling. She slowly opened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the bright room, and saw her arms wrapped around a white, firm pillow…that was moving. She looked up and saw Nikolias' face with a peaceful and small smile. He was still fast asleep with his arms wrapped around her lower back. She immediately began blushing furiously.

She began to recall last night's events. She was awoken by Nikolias restlessly moving around in bed, soft and pained grunts escaping his lips. It was clear to her that he was having an awful nightmare, for his entire skin glistened in the moonlight from the light sweat that clung to his body. She didn't want to wake him up, but she figured that the dream was causing him discomfort and she wanted to make sure that he was okay. She shook him awake and she remembered the look of fear in his eyes when he looked at her. She remembered comforting him and hugging him to keep him warm. She remembered the amazing feeling she had when they embraced. And then she remembered how happy she felt when he said to her, "Thanks for being here with me".

After remembering this part of the conversation, Mira couldn't help but smile as she took in Nikolias' sleeping face. She couldn't believe how wonderfully she slept while in his arms. She felt safe, warm, comfortable—it felt natural and it felt right. She gently placed her chin on his chest and smiled fondly as she watched him sleep.

_'He's really cute when he sleeps.'_

Suddenly, an alarm sounded to their left, startling Mira from her daze. She glanced over her shoulder and wondered when that was set, but figured Nikolias set it while she was in the bathroom last night. She hit the alarm to turn off the horrible noise and then repositioned herself to keep looking at Nikolias…only to see him looking back at her. As their eyes locked, her entire face turned red.

"Good morning, Mira," Nikolias said, a big smile on his face. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thanks," she said, looking away and making Nikolias laugh.

"Good. Sorry about the alarm, but I wanted to make sure that we didn't oversleep. Of course, I think you were already up." Mira's face grew redder and Nikolias laughed even harder. "I'm just teasing. I'll let you get ready first as an apology for embarrassing you."

"I'm not embarrassed," she stated and then winked. "But thanks for first bathroom rights!" She got up and grabbed her clothes before walking into the bathroom and locking the door behind her. She turned on the water and undressed while waiting for the water to heat up. When she got in, she did her best to sigh quietly. _'I can't believe he caught me staring. How embarrassing…'_

Out in the room, Nikolias got dressed into his clothes for the day. Since he didn't know a lot about this monster, he made sure that he was prepared for an intense fight. He wore a tight black shirt and fairly loose forest green pants, allowing him a lot of mobility while fighting. He chuckled as he looked in the mirror, thinking that he looked ready to go to war. He sat down on the bed to put on his shoes and ran through last night's dream. _'I haven't had that nightmare in a long time. I wonder what brought it around again.'_ He finished tying his shoes and looked down at his rough hands. _'I'm glad Mira was there to wake me up. I really didn't want to see the next part.'_

"Nikolias?"

Nikolias looked up to see Mira, now in her usual pink dress, looking at him with a concerned look. "All set? All right, give me a few minutes and then we can head out."

"Are you alright? You look a little disheartened."

He gave her a small smile. "You're sweet to ask. I'm fine, though. I was just thinking, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder as he walked by and smiled. "Positive."

She smiled back and watched him walk into the bathroom. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering Nikolias. She decided she'd let it go, though. Nikolias was clearly a closed book and unless he wanted to share, he wouldn't say anything. Still, she wished that he would share more with her. Then again, they've only really known each other for about a week. Mira shook her head. She really wished that she knew more about Nikolias.

Nikolias walked out of the bathroom and nodded to Mira. "All set. Let's get some breakfast and then we'll head out. Sound good to you?"

Mira smiled and nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

After finishing breakfast, Mira and Nikolias headed over to the surrounding woods, prepared to take out whatever creature was terrorizing the people of Shirotsume. It was a rather quiet breakfast. Mira could tell that something was definitely upsetting Nikolias and she wished that he would talk about it, but from the way he acted in the room, she knew that he wouldn't say anything no matter how many times she asked. She attempted conversation and Nikolias partook, but it wasn't the same as before and it bothered her. It was then that she decided that she would try and get to the bottom of things on the way to the mission.

Nikolias stretched his arms as he walked. "Alright Mira, we've never fought together before, so it'll be hard to synchronize our moves and since we have no idea what to expect with this 'monster', things will only be tougher. Any thoughts?"

"I think the best thing we can do is to wait and see what we're up against before we attempt a strategy, don't you think?"

He smiled at her and nodded. "I think you're right. You have quite the brain to go with your good looks. A very dangerous combination."

Mira blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Nikolias. You're very good looking, too."

He scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. Now from what I've heard and what you've told me, you're really powerful, so if you don't mind being our first line while I analyze a bit that could help a lot. I don't want to use more power than I have to, so I need to see what exactly we're up against."

"I can definitely do that. Just leave it to me."

"Good. I think we'll be able to fight well together."

"I think so, too."

As they began to enter the woods, Mira took a deep breath to build up her confidence before asking, "Nikolias, what was your nightmare about?" Nikolias suddenly stopped walking and stared at the ground. "Nikolias?"

"Mira, please don't ask me about that."

"Why not?"

"It's bad enough that I have to experience that nightmare on more than one occasion, but having to talk about it is just too difficult."

"But it's just a nightmare, right? It can't hurt to talk about it," she said gently. She could sense the tension radiating from Nikolias and it was scaring her a little. Nikolias lifted his head and looked into her eyes. She could see fear and sorrow in his golden eyes and she could tell that he was holding back tears.

"It wasn't a dream, Mira. It was a memory."

"A memory?"

"Yes, from my past. It's extremely painful to relive, so I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk about it."

Mira nodded her head. "I understand," she replied. Disappointment was clear in her voice. She badly wanted to know more about Nikolias, but he just wasn't offering anything.

Nikolias saw how badly she wanted to know. He walked up to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Mira. I'm just too afraid. My past is something I want to forget. I just want to move on the best I can."

"Then you should eventually talk about it," she said as she hugged him back. "That's the best way to move on. Other people can help you. I can help you. You don't have to be afraid."

He pulled away from the hug and gave her a sad smile. "Maybe one day I can talk about it with you, but for now the only person who knows anything about my past is Gracie."

Mira nodded. "I hope one day you will talk to me about it." Mira decided to try for one more bit of information. "Nikolias, I understand if it's too painful, but Gracie told me that you were in love once. Can you tell me about her?"

Nikolias' eyes went wide and he tore himself away from Mira. "I don't want to talk about that either, even less than I want to talk about that nightmare. What brought that up?"

Mira took a step closer. "I was curious if…if you could fall in love again? It has become my understanding that Half Dragons along with Dragon Slayers find someone they want to spend the rest of their lives with, so I was just wondering if…" She stopped, unsure how to word the rest of her question. Nikolias turned to look at her and Mira could feel his eyes burrowing into her soul, as if they were searching for something.

After a few seconds, Nikolias gently smiled at her. "I can't give you a straight answer there. However, I'd like to think that maybe one day I could."

Mira smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Nikolias sighed, feeling emotionally and, strangely, physically drained from Mira's interrogation. "If you don't mind, can we continue onward? I'd like to beat the shit out of this monster now."

Mira nodded as she continued walking alongside Nikolias.

They reached a large clearing before Nikolias stopped. He sniffed the air and growled. "I smell something foul in the area. We're really close."

"Something foul?"

"Yeah, I don't know how else to describe it."

"Alright, well we'll just have to be on our guard from now on."

Nikolias nodded.

They slowly walked forward, trying to hear or see anything that could hint to where the monster was. As they reached the center of the clearing, Nikolias put his left hand in front of Mira to signal her to stop before quickly putting his right hand index finger to his mouth to tell her to be quiet.

"Did you hear something?" Mira whispered.

A small nod was all the response she got as Nikolias carefully scanned the area. After a while of just standing there, the two felt a small tremor beneath their feet. Both looked at each other, making sure that neither just imagined it.

Suddenly, the entire ground began to shake violently.

"What's happening?" Mira asked as she tried to maintain her balance.

"Shit, it's coming from underground!" Nikolias shouted as he grabbed Mira around the waist and jumped backwards right before a massive hand shot out of the ground in an attempt to pulverize the two Fairy Tail members. Feeling nothing underneath it, the hand pushed off of the ground, slowly pulling the attached body from beneath the earth.

Nikolias and Mira could only stare in disbelief as a towering blue behemoth emerged from the ground. It easily stood at 25 feet tall and was extremely wide and bulging with muscles. It had five arms extending from its torso, four where most humans would have two and one coming from its back. Its eyes glowed an eerie yellow as it glared at the intruders and let loose a fierce roar, revealing massive rotting fangs.

Nikolias' hand immediately shot to his nose. "Fuck that's some foul breath. Sometimes dragon senses are a curse, I swear."

Mira still couldn't believe what was in front of her. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it before. All I know is that a description should have definitely been included now that I'm seeing it."

The behemoth before them drew back its two right arms and unleashed two high speed punches directly at Mira and Nikolias, immediately ending any conversation. The two dodged it easily, but the tremors that the punches caused from hitting the ground made landing gently a challenge.

"Nikolias, I'm going in. I'll distract it for a while and you come in when you're ready," Mira said as she transformed into her Satan Soul. Nikolias was taken aback by how different she looked in this form. Her pink dress was gone, leaving behind a dark red leotard that revealed her toned stomach, upper back, and a lot of cleavage. The leotard rose up into a spiky collar that was tied around her neck by a cravat tie and on her shoulders were dark red belts that attached to her uniform. She had dark red high-heeled boots that reached up to her mid thigh with black and gold blade-like shapes in the fabric reaching from her mid thigh down to her knees. On her upper thighs were long scars that ran horizontally. Her forearms and hands became covered in scales and her hands had dull gold gauntlets with pointed fingers. On her forearms were fin-like protrusions. From her back side, she had large black bat-like wings and a tail covered in plates that decreased in size as they neared the tip. Her ears were now pointed and a scar went across her right eye from the top of her forehead to her jaw line. Her hair was wild and curlier, standing straight into the air, and her front ponytail that kept her hair out of her face was now much longer. Her eyes were darker and her eyelashes were longer. Her now dark lips were curled back, revealing elongated canines.

Nikolias shook his head. "No, we're going in together. I know exactly what to use for this fight. I'm going to go partial-dragon. But I have to tell you now; once I take this form, you can talk to me and I'll understand you, but you won't be able to understand me. You'll be giving orders if any are needed. Understood?"

"I got it."

He grinned, revealing his teeth had become fangs. "Awesome. Well, let's kick some ass then!" Nikolias' body instantly became engulfed in shadows as his arms, legs, and part of his face became covered in scales. The black blades protruded from his forearms and his feet and hands became claws. His wings and tail erupted from his back side and he flapped his wings to stretch them out. His ears vanished and black, boney spikes grew out of his skull. His eyes were now dragon-like and golden and he narrowed them as he glared at the behemoth. He went down on all fours in preparation to pounce, digging his talons into the dirt and revealing his fangs as he snarled.

"Let's go," Mira said as she jumped into the air, followed by Nikolias. They both hovered in the air, waiting for the moment to strike.

The behemoth threw a punch at the two, who easily avoided it. Nikolias saw his first opening in the behemoth's overextended punch. Shadows began dancing around his blades as they seemed to grow in length and he flew towards the behemoth, dodging any attempts it made to swat him out of the air. He picked up speed as he neared the behemoth, slashing through it and causing it to roar in anger and pain.

Mira saw the behemoth's blind rage create another opening and she intended to take it. Mira charged up a large ball of dark energy and pointed it at the behemoth, firing a dark purple beam towards it at high speed. "DEMON BLAST!" It collided with it and sent it to the ground, causing the entire ground to shake violently.

Nikolias growled as he looked to end this fight immediately. Shadows began to envelop his claws as he slashed the air, sending ripples of shadow towards the downed behemoth. The ripples tore into the behemoth's flesh as it roared once more.

Nikolias and Mira both landed as they awaited the behemoth's status. They both knew that despite the damage they caused it, there was no way this monstrosity was out for the count.

And they were right.

Slowly, the behemoth rolled over and pushed itself back onto its feet. It turned to glare down at its adversaries with renewed hatred emanating from its eyes.

"Round two," Mira said as she flew back into the air. She lifted her hand into the air and began charging Darkness Magic.

Nikolias recognized that Mira needed time to charge her next attack, so decided he'd be a distraction. He ran on all fours towards the behemoth at incredible speed. While running, shadows engulfed his hands and feet and just as the behemoth was about to attack Mira, Nikolias lunged at it, landing a power-packed punch into the behemoth's chest, causing it to lose its balance. Without its feet solidly underneath it, the behemoth's attack against Mira completely missed, leaving it wide open to Nikolias' next attack. Without missing a beat, Nikolias redirected himself in the air with his wings and fired a bone shattering kick right in the behemoth's ribs. A loud cracking sound caused the behemoth to stumble backwards and roar in sheer agony.

This was all the time that Mira needed. The sphere of power she had been charging was now immense as she pointed her hands at the behemoth. "SATANIC BLAST!" she shouted as a pillar of Darkness Magic was fired at the still recovering behemoth. It threw its head back and roared as its flesh was torn to pieces by the Darkness Magic. The incredible pain coupled with its fractured ribs rendered the beast immobile.

Nikolias grinned as he saw the perfect opportunity to end this now. He balanced himself on his hind legs and gathered shadows into his mouth. He leaned backwards as he inhaled deeply and unleashed a massive vortex of shadows; a vortex that was at least twice as large as the one he fired at Natsu during the spar. The vortex collided with the behemoth, tearing a hole through its abdomen.

The agonizing screams stopped as the vortex vanished and the pillar of Darkness Magic died away. The behemoth was frozen, a look of pain on its forever screaming face. It swayed a little before falling forward with a loud crash, creating a small indent in the ground to forever mark where it fell. Mira landed on the ground next to Nikolias as they both transformed back into their human forms. Once they were human again, they smiled at each other.

"A job well done," Mira said.

"That wasn't too difficult at all," Nikolias said as he turned his attention to the dead behemoth. "I guess we should be thankful."

"Yeah, we should. We're still really close to the town. If this thing went berserk, who knows what kind of trouble there would have been."

"Very true." He returned his attention to Mira and smiled again. "Well I think we make a very good team, Mira."

Mira blushed slightly. "I think we do as well. We played off of each other's moves efficiently and barely gave this thing a chance to strike back."

"I agree," Nikolias said as he began walking towards the head of the downed behemoth. "Well, I guess it's time to collect." He held out his hand to the side as he walked. "SHADOW SWORD!" he shouted as shadows began to gather in his hand and eventually took the shape of a black broad sword. He stopped at the neck of the behemoth and raised his sword above his head before swinging it down with enough force to sever the head from the body instantly.

Mira crinkled her nose. "Is that necessary?"

Nikolias lifted the head with ease, showing just how strong he was. "It's proof of completion. Right?"

"I guess."

Nikolias began walking back towards Shirotsume. "Shall we head back?"

Mira nodded and ran over to Nikolias so that they could walk back to town together.

* * *

Mira couldn't help but giggle to herself as she saw all of the shocked expressions of the townspeople. I guess it wasn't everyday that two people walked through town while one of them was carrying a massive head around with one hand.

Nikolias didn't appear to even notice the looks they were getting. The only thing evident on his face was satisfaction. Mira could tell that Nikolias was feeling good after letting off some steam. She couldn't help but feel like she created some of that need, though.

After dropping off the head at the client's establishment and gathering the reward, they headed back to the hotel to rest up a bit before heading out. Nikolias said he was going to get some lunch, leaving Mira alone with her thoughts for a while.

She still wanted to know about Nikolias' past, but it was clear that he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. She was racking her brain to try and figure out how she could breach the barrier Nikolias put around himself and delve into what has made Nikolias the way he is. She sighed as she realized the only thing that she could do was be patient. If she gave Nikolias his space while spending time with him, maybe he would lower the barrier on his own. She nodded as she solidified her plan and then decided that as soon as Nikolias returned, she would apologize to him.

Almost twenty minutes later, Nikolias walked into the room with a couple of sandwiches in his hand. He smiled as he tossed her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Thank you, Nikolias."

"You're welcome," he said as he tore open the wrapping of his roast beef sandwich and began to devour it.

Mira was about to begin eating, but decided that now was the best time to clear the air. "Nikolias?"

"Mhm," he hummed as he chewed his sandwich.

"I just wanted to apologize for prying into your life earlier. It wasn't my place."

Nikolias swallowed and walked over to where Mira was sitting at the end of the bed before sitting beside her. "Apology accepted," he said with a smile, "but you don't have to apologize. You were curious so you asked. I can't blame you for that. I'm just not ready to talk about any of it."

"I understand."

He moved his left hand to hold her right hand and locked eyes with her. "I will say this, though. With every passing day I spend with you and everyone in Fairy Tail, I feel more and more comfortable with humans again. It's possible that I can open up once more, but I'm not making any promises."

Mira put her hand over his. "I'm glad you're feeling comfortable in Fairy Tail and I hope one day you feel like you can share with me."

"I do, too."

She looked away, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "I was so afraid that I'd made you angry and scared you away from wanting to spend time with me again."

Nikolias laughed. "That could never happen. I could never be angry at you and there's nothing you could do to keep me from wanting to spend time with you."

She turned her head to look at him again. "Really?"

He gave her a big grin. "Absolutely! Besides, if I didn't want to hang out with you, would I have bought these?" He released himself from Mira's hands and whipped out two tickets from his pocket.

"What are they?" she inquired.

"Tickets to the festival tonight."

Mira's face lit up with excitement. "Really?"

"Yeah. I bought these in the lobby after I renewed our room for another night."

Mira jumped up with joy. "Yay! Oh, this is so exciting! I wonder what this festival will be like."

"It should be interesting, that's for sure."

Mira threw her arms around Nikolias' neck, tackling him to the bed and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Nikolias. This is a wonderful gift."

Nikolias returned the hug and laughed. "I'm glad you like it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 9**

Mira wiped the bar counter at Fairy Tail while completely spacing out, a smile and blush on her face. She had been cleaning the same spot for about five minutes now since doing work was the farthest thing from her mind. The only thing that was running through her head was thoughts about her now completed mission with Nikolias. The festival had been wonderful; one of the best moments Mira could remember.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

_Bright lanterns lined the streets, piercing the dark night sky and bathing the town in festive yellow lights. Red banners were hung on the sides of the buildings and people who had windows facing the event hung fancy lights and signs to add to the festivities. The entire town was filled to capacity, making it difficult to wind through the streets. Food stands offering any food imaginable were set up all over town. Children's laughter could be heard everywhere as they played tag or won a prize at a booth._

_ Nikolias was dragged by the hand down the street by Mira as they snaked their way through the crowd of people, trying to find a place to eat. The grin on Mira's face from when Nikolias told her about the tickets never left as she searched for a place that looked good. Eventually, her eyes found a stand that was serving fancy pastries and elegant fruit platters. She turned to Nikolias. "Let's eat at that one!"_

_ Nikolias looked towards the stand that she pointed to and smiled. "Looks good."_

_ They walked towards the food stand and sat down. The man behind the wooden counter smiled at the two customers. "Hello there! What can I get you two?"_

_ Mira looked at the selection before her. "I'll have a cinnamon roll and can I have that fruit platter there, please?" she asked while pointing towards a plate full of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, and grapes._

_ The man nodded and put together her order. "And how about you, young sir?"_

_ "I'll have two of those mini quiches and that fruit platter there," he said with a smile as he pointed to a fruit platter with strawberries, pineapple, grapes, apples, pears, and cantaloupe._

_ The man nodded and put together his order before bringing both orders to the two hungry visitors. The two thanked the man before digging in. The man watched with a smile before his attention was called for elsewhere._

_ "Mmm, this is delicious!" Mira said as she took a bite of her cinnamon roll._

_ "A good choice for sure, Mira," Nikolias nodded as he piled some fruit into his mouth. As polite as he was, he still tended to eat like a dragon._

_ Upon finishing their meals, Mira stood up and stretched. The vendor noticed this and walked over. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"_

_ "Yes, thank you!" Mira said as she began digging into her purse for payment. However, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Nikolias chuckling. "What?"_

_ "You don't have to pay, Mira. This is my treat. Everything's on me."_

_ "Nikolias, you don't have to do that. We just got our reward so I can easily pay for myself."_

_ "Please, I insist," he said as he put a couple Jewels on the counter. He turned to the vendor. "This should cover our meals. Feel free to keep the change."_

_ "Thank you, young sir," the man said as he scooped up the money. He then shot Mira a wink. "He's quite the gentleman, young miss. You're quite the lucky lady."_

_ Mira blushed at the man's comment. "Umm…," she started but didn't know what to say._

_ Nikolias couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you for the food, sir. It was wonderful. So Mira, where would you like to go next?"_

_ The two wandered the festival for hours, enjoying the various games and food stands that were set up everywhere, before Nikolias dragged Mira outside of the festival._

_ "Where are we going? The festival is back that way," she asked as she tried to keep up with Nikolias._

_ "I know. I just want to show you something," he called back without turning around._

_ "What is it?"_

_ "You'll see."_

_ After about a minute, a wide open hill came into view. Nikolias led Mira on top of the hill before sitting down._

_ "What are we doing out here?" she asked. "There's nothing out here."_

_ He smiled up at her. "You'll see in a minute." He patted the ground beside him. "Sit with me."_

_ Mira blushed slightly and complied. She sat on the ground with her legs underneath her and her arms behind her to support her weight._

_ "So have you enjoyed the festival so far?" Nikolias asked._

_ "Yes I have. I'd like to look around more, though."_

_ He laughed. "We will. I just wanted to show you something." He sniffed the air. "It's starting soon!"_

_ "What's starting soon?" she asked._

_ Suddenly, the air lit up with a wide array of vibrant colors as fireworks exploded in the sky. Nikolias smiled at Mira's reaction to the sight._

_ "It's beautiful!" she breathed. The reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, and purples painted the black back drop in various patterns, making Mira gasp with astonishment with every new display._

_ "I'm glad you think so. I figured that we could get a better view of the show from this spot."_

_ Mira couldn't tear her eyes away from the sky. "Good thinking. I can't believe how clearly I can see everything."_

_ He smiled and turned his attention to the sky. He laid down on the grass and put his arms behind his head as he admired the pleasant colors. Suddenly, he felt a light weight on his left side. He moved his head slightly to see Mira lying down beside him, her arms gently touching his chest. "Mira?"_

_ "Thank you, Nikolias. This has been one of the greatest nights of my life," she said as she cuddled into his side and stared at the fireworks._

_ Nikolias smiled. "Me too, Mira. Me too."_

* * *

_ The festival was winding down as midnight approached. Mira had fallen asleep once the fireworks had ended, so Nikolias carried her bridal style back to the room and gently placed her into bed. Once he had showered and changed, he got into bed himself only to hear Mira stir._

_ "Wha…where am I?" she asked._

_ "You fell asleep when the fireworks ended so I carried you back to the room," he answered._

_ "I did?" Mira asked, trying to recall when she fell asleep. She felt like she had only closed her eyes for a moment. "Huh…well I'm sorry for making you carry me."_

_ "Not a problem," he said, smiling at her._

_ "Nikolias?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "Thank you again for tonight. It was…it was magical."_

_ "It was a lot of fun. I hope we can do something this fun again soon." With that, he fell asleep, the day's events finally catching up with him._

_ Mira smiled softly at him and blushed. "I hope so, too," she whispered before she, too, fell asleep._

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

"Mira! Hey Mira! Snap out of it!"

Mira blinked as the voice broke the spell she was under. She looked up to see Cana, Lisanna, and Laki walking over to her.

"Hello girls. What can I do for you?" Mira asked with her usual sweet smile.

"You can spill your guts," Cana said. "What happened on the mission?"

Mira blinked. "It was a typical mission. We arrived at the town and went to the hotel. I got us a room while Nikolias went to inform the client of our arrival…"

"Wait, back up," Cana barked.

"You slept with him?!" Lisanna hissed.

Mira glared at her sister. "Yes we slept in the same bed, but no, we didn't sleep together."

"I don't believe you," Cana growled. "Like you wouldn't have taken the opportunity to make a move."

"I did no such thing," Mira defended. "We slept, nothing more." She didn't appreciate all of the accusations. She was proud of herself for not giving in to her lustful feelings that first night.

"Continue the story," Laki ordered.

Mira sighed. "Fine. The next day, we headed out to our mission. We found the monster that was terrorizing the town and easily defeated it. Then we collected our reward money."

"You're lying," Cana scoffed.

"I'm not lying," Mira said. She was starting to feel a little angry.

Cana threw back a beer, slammed it on the counter, and pointed at Mira. "If you two beat the monster so handily, then why did you just get back today and not yesterday?"

Mira blushed as she once again recalled the amazing night she had with Nikolias at the festival. The girls all noticed the blush. "You did something, didn't you?" Lisanna accused. "What did you do, Mira?"

Mira knew she couldn't escape this. "There was a festival in town that night. Once we got paid for our mission success, we headed to the room to pack. Nikolias said he was going to get lunch and when he came back, he had lunch as well tickets to the festival. That's why we didn't come back yesterday."

Lisanna whined. "It's so unfair! You got to spend so much alone time with Nikolias!"

"I bet you paid Nikolias back for the tickets on the second night together, huh?" Cana purred suggestively.

"Again, all we did was sleep," Mira said blushing.

"Oh come on, Mira. If any of us were in your shoes, we probably would have tried something, so sorry if it's hard to believe that you did nothing but sleep, do a mission, and hang out with nothing more intimate going on," Cana said. The other girls nodded their agreement.

"Believe what you want, but I intend not to rush into anything," Mira said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go wait tables." With that, she walked from behind the counter and began going from table to table and taking orders.

Cana, Lisanna, and Laki all stared at Mira before looking at each other.

"We're falling behind," Cana said. "We need to make sure our names are in the running. Nikolias needs to know that Mira's not the only girl in the guild who's interested."

"Right. Mira got a head start but we can catch up," Laki agreed.

"We have work to do. May the best girl win," Lisanna said. The girls nodded and disbanded, determined to come up with a plan to get some alone time with Nikolias.

* * *

"Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me!" Gracie chanted.

Nikolias had his head face down on the pillow of his bed, trying to ignore Gracie as best he could.

"TALK TO ME, TALK TO ME, TALK TO ME!"

"Holy shit, why are you so loud?" Nikolias groaned.

"It's the only way to get to you sometimes. Now spill. How was the mission?"

He turned over and sat up to look at Gracie. "It was fine. Really easy, actually. Mira fights well."

"I'm glad she fought well, but I want some details! Come on, tell me! I told you about my mission."

"What's there to say?"

"Just summarize the whole thing."

"Alright. We got to the town, Mira went to get us rooms while I went to talk to the client. Real talkative mother fucker. When I got back to the hotel, Mira had gotten us a room so we went up to…"

"FREEZE! You got one room?"

"Yeah. Apparently there was a festival the next day, so the hotels were pretty booked. We were lucky to get a room."

"I see. Go on," Gracie said, a grin creeping onto her face.

Nikolias saw this grin. It concerned him, but he went on. "We went up to the room and we got ready to sleep. We went to bed and…"

"FREEZE! What happened in the bed? Anything fun?"

He gave her a deadpanned look. "We slept. That's all."

"Aww, that's disappointing. Nothing?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, I did have a nightmare, so we ended up falling asleep together since she wanted to comfort me."

Gracie stared wide-eyed. "Asleep together as in…"

He sighed. "In each other's arms," he said with a defeated tone.

Gracie squealed. "Oh, this is awesome!"

"You're reading too much into it."

"No I'm not! I've never seen you sleep like that before, not even with me!"

"You tend to sleep naked, so there's that reason."

"Oh whatever. What was the nightmare?"

He looked at her, the pain evident in his eyes. "It was the night they all died."

Her smile vanished. "So…not a nightmare. You were reliving a memory again?"

He nodded.

"Niky…When was the last time you relived anything?"

"I honestly can't remember and I have no idea what brought it around again."

"Well, let's move on then. So you fell asleep in each other's arms?" she cooed before giggling.

"Yes. Then we woke up and headed out to do the mission. We fought the fucking giant and took it down without much issue. I took its head for proof of completion, we collected the reward, and then we headed back to the room."

"Okay, now why were you two a day late coming back then?"

Nikolias looked away. "Well…I enjoyed spending time with her, so I bought an extra night in the hotel and purchased two tickets to the festival."

"Aww, how romantic."

"No, no, no. Not romantic. A fun night spent with a friend."

"Denial."

"Not in denial."

"Oh, you so are. You like her."

"She's a good friend."

"Niky, just admit that you're…"

"Stop!" he shouted before calming down. He looked away from her. "Just…stop."

Gracie frowned. "Alright, I'm sorry. So what did you do at the festival?"

"Ate food, played games, watched some fireworks; usual festival stuff really."

"Well that does sound fun! I wish I could have gone to the festival."

"You would've enjoyed it. Don't worry; apparently this place throws parties left and right. You'll experience a party or festival sooner rather than later."

She clapped her hands. "Good! Well, now that I have the details from you, time to get up and join everyone downstairs."

He collapsed back on the bed. "Hell no. I'm still tired. Wake me later."

"How can you be so tired all the time?"

"I dunno. Dragon thing, I guess."

"Lazy ass. Fine, sleep the day away. See if I care. I'm gonna go socialize!"

"Knock yourself out."

Gracie huffed and turned on her heels to leave. She stopped in the doorway to shoot one last sympathetic glance at a now face down Nikolias. _'Oh Niky. One day it'll stop hurting and you can see what's right in front of you.'_ She closed the door and made her way to the main hall.

Gracie walked into the main hall and sat down. She sighed as she put her chin in her hands. She knew that she wasn't wrong; Nikolias felt something for Mira and she knew that Mira felt something for him, too. She just wished that she could help her friend overcome the constant pain he was battling so that he could achieve happiness that she believed he deserved.

"Gracie, are you alright?"

Gracie lifted her head to see Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Erza standing in front of her. She gave them all a big smile. "Hi guys! Yeah I'm fine, I was just thinking about stuff. What's up?"

"You looked sad, so we wanted to make sure that everything was okay," Lucy said. It was clear that she was concerned about her friend.

Gracie giggled. "Oh I'm not sad. Sorry if I worried you."

Lucy smiled. "It's fine. As long as you're okay."

Natsu jumped forward. "I see Mira and Nikolias finally made it back. Where's Nikolias?"

"He's sleeping."

"Man, he sleeps more than Natsu," Gray commented.

"Oi, you wanna start something, ice prick?" Natsu threatened.

"Bring it on, coal boy," Gray shot back, preparing for a fight.

"Not now, you two," Erza said, causing the two boys to instantly separate.

Gracie giggled. "I'll never get over how easily you can control those two. It's quite funny."

"Erza's scary," Happy said as he flew over. "She can get anyone to do anything."

"I can tell that she is quite persuasive," Gracie said with a laugh.

"So anyway," Natsu cut in, "if Nikolias is back, do you think he can show me some stuff?"

"He might be persuaded into that," Gracie answered.

"Sweet! I'll go get him." He ran off before Gracie could stop him.

"He sure is energetic, isn't he?" Gracie said.

"You have no idea," Lucy said.

"Well, having a lot of energy can be very beneficial," Gracie said with a wink, causing Lucy to blush bright red.

"Are you alright, Lucy?" Erza asked. "You're very red."

"Maybe she has a fever," Gray offered.

"I'm fine and I don't have a fever," Lucy said, but didn't make eye contact.

"Then what's wrong?" Erza asked. "Why are you so red?"

"I…I'm not!" she stuttered.

"Yeah you are. You look like your face is on fire," Gray said.

"I…It's nothing, r…really," she assured as she felt her entire body heat up from embarrassment.

"It's not nothing," Gracie giggled, earning a glare from Lucy.

Lucy just wanted to hide somewhere. "Guys knock it off…"

"HEY! GRACIE!"

Everyone in the guild turned to see Natsu panting, a look of panic on his face.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Erza asked.

Natsu looked at Gracie. "Gracie, come quick! Something is going on with Nikolias!"

Gracie's eyes widened as she sped to Nikolias' room with everyone following behind her.

As they ran, Gracie turned to Natsu. "What did you see?"

"I went in to wake him up and he was covered in sweat, he looked extremely tense, and he was making a lot of weird noises," Natsu answered.

They reached the door and Gracie threw it open. They all saw Nikolias sitting up in bed, panting, covered in sweat, and clutching his head.

Gracie gingerly tiptoed into the room, signaling everyone to stay where they were. "Niky?" she whispered. "Everything okay?"

He didn't respond. He just sat there, unmoving, his panting the only sign that he was even still alive.

Gracie sat beside him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Niky, talk to me," she said calmly.

"It happened again," he rasped.

"What happened again?"

He moved his hands from his head, allowing Gracie to see that his eyes were dragon-like and staring straight at the floor. "The nightmare."

"You relived it again?"

He nodded.

"Niky, I'm sorry. I know that's tough to see."

Nikolias' hand shot up and grabbed the Gracie's hand that was on his shoulder. He was gripping it tightly, causing Gracie some pain, but she swallowed it, knowing that Nikolias needed this for comfort.

"No one was here," he mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

Tears started falling from his eyes and his raspy voice was now trembling. "No one was here to wake me up…I had to see it all…I had to relive it all."

"Niky I'm so sorry. I should've stayed with you."

"It's not your fault," he said as he began to straighten up. His eyes were starting to calm down and began changing back to his human eyes. "I chose to sleep. It was my mistake."

"Come on, let's get you some food," Gracie said. She turned around and motioned for everyone to scatter. They all immediately obeyed, heading back to the main hall to give Nikolias his space. She stood up, helping Nikolias to his feet.

He moved himself from Gracie and smiled. "Thanks Gracie."

"For what?"

"For making them all leave. Now I have some time to compose myself before they see me."

"It's okay to cry, Niky."

"I know. I just don't want to have to explain myself."

"You may have to."

He sighed. "Fucking great."

She giggled. "Don't worry. I'll be there to help you anyway I can."

"Can you keep them away?"

She winked. "Probably not."

He chuckled lightly. "Thanks so much for the help."

The two made their way to the main hall. Much to Nikolias' delight, no one bothered to ask about what happened as he made his way to the bar with Gracie for some food.

Mira walked over with a worried smile on her face. "Would you like something to eat, Nikolias?"

He looked up and saw the pity in her eyes. He cringed slightly by the look, but tried his best to hide it as he smiled back. "Some sausage would be nice."

Mira nodded and went to get his food.

Gracie patted his hand. "You gonna be alright?"

He gave her a toothy grin. "Yeah I'll be fine. I've relived that moment and others like it multiple times and, while they never get any easier to see, I do recover once I realize there's nothing I can do about it anymore. As time has gone on, I recover faster and faster. As soon as I eat some sausage, I'll be good as new."

"Good!"

Mira walked over with the sausage. "Dig in!"

"Thanks Mira," he said with a smile as he began devouring the meat before him. He felt the pitiful stares on his back as he ate, which only quickened his pace. As soon as he finished, he stood up. "Thanks for the food, Mira. I'll be outside if anyone needs me." He began walking towards the door.

"What are you gonna do?" Gracie asked.

With a wave of his hand and without turning around, he called back, "Training." And with that, he walked out of the guild.

"Gracie, is he going to be all right?" Mira asked.

Gracie turned to look at her. "Yeah, he's fine. He just doesn't enjoy people looking at him with pity, which I'm sure he felt in here."

"Oh," Mira said as she looked down. She had been looking at Nikolias with sorrow and pity. She never wanted to cause him pain.

"Mira, I want to ask you about something."

"What is it, Gracie?"

"Nikolias told me that he had a nightmare while you guys were on your mission. Do you know anything about it?"

"No, he wouldn't tell me anything. All I know is that it was a memory and he didn't want to talk about it."

"Okay. Can I ask you a favor then?"

"Absolutely."

She leaned in close so that no one could over hear. "Niky won't admit it because of his past, but he really does like you. He's fighting it, but I'm hoping that soon he'll realize it's a losing battle. Can you just make sure you stay close to him? I don't mean live with him or stalk him or even do every single mission with him. I just mean let him know that you won't leave him and you'll always be there."

Mira blushed. She didn't know how to respond so she simply nodded.

Gracie smiled. "Thank you Mira."

* * *

Outside of Fairy Tail in the training area, Nikolias sat in a tree with his eyes closed.

"Why? Why do I keep reliving those events? How many years has it been since I last had those nightmares? Why are they coming back now?" he thought out loud. He opened his eyes and stared at the sky. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" He clenched his teeth in frustration, unable to reach any sort of reason for his recent nightmares. He jumped down to the ground and gathered shadows in his hand. With a cry of anger and frustration, he fired a massive Shadow Dragon Pulse into the air. He watched it travel, waiting for the pressure of the atmosphere to eventually cause it to discharge. Once it did, a black wave spread across the sky.

He collapsed to his knees while his gaze never left the sky. _'Why? Why now?'_

After five minutes of staring at the sky, Nikolias knew what he had to do. He stood up and walked back into Fairy Tail.

Gracie saw him walk in. "Hey Niky! How was the training?" However, Nikolias didn't respond. He just looked at the ground. "Niky? Everything okay?"

He looked up, his mood never changing. "I'm leaving for a while, Gracie."

"Leaving?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, leaving."

"But…why?"

"I just…need to figure something out. I shouldn't be long. And don't worry, I'll come back."

"Well I'll come with you then."

"No, I need to go alone for this one."

"Nikolias, what's going on?" Makarov asked.

"Personal business, Master. I'm not leaving the guild, I'm just taking a solo mission, so don't worry."

"Why is it so important that you go alone?" Erza asked.

"Look, I don't want to explain it." He looked at Gracie. "I need to do this. I'll be back in five days max."

Gracie frowned, but nodded. "Okay. Just be safe."

Mira leaned in close to Gracie. "You're just going to let him go?"

Gracie nodded. "He's a big boy and he knows what he's doing."

Nikolias turned around to head back out. Once outside, he allowed his wings and tail to emerge from his backside. He flapped his wings a few times to stretch them out, sending dirt into the air. He turned to see everyone outside and looking at him. "Don't worry guys. Five days isn't that long. I'll be back before ya know it." With that he jumped into the air and flew off.

Everyone headed back inside while a few pestered Gracie with questions.

"Where is he going?"

"Will he be alright?"

"What's he looking for?"

"What personal business?"

"Does it have to do with the nightmare he had?"

"Will he really come back?"

Gracie just sighed. "Guys I promise you that I don't know much of anything. He'll be back, though. I know that for sure."

Mira was the only one who stayed outside to watch Nikolias disappear. She held her hands close to her chest. _'Please Nikolias, be safe and come back soon.'_

* * *

Out in the woods sat a dark and eerie building. Bare and twisted trees lined the walls and a sinister black gate stood as the entrance. Inside of the building was a group of wizards, laughing amongst themselves.

"Quiet, everyone, quiet! The Master is going to speak!" commanded one of the members.

Out of the shadows walked a tall, lean man with black clothing. He had dark skin with red tattoos all over his face and arms. He stood among his people with a wicked grin.

He raised his arms to demand silence and everyone obeyed. "My friends! It is time for Dark Guilds to make a significant mark on this world! We will show everyone our power and make them bow to us! We shall have the Magic Council kissing the dirt beneath our feet!" A loud chorus of cheering erupted in the guild. The man raised his arms again and silence took over the guild once more. "We shall show the world our strength by proving that not even the strongest guild in Fiore can stop us!"

"All hail Master Severo!" called out one member.

"All shall fear the Bloody Moon guild!" cried another.

Severo lifted his arms once more, but this time with triumphant fists, causing the cheering in the room to intensify significantly. "We shall eliminate Fairy Tail and show the world true power!"

* * *

**Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate it! To those who don't, enjoy the holiday season!**

**I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my story. This is my first FanFiction, so obviously it's not perfect. I do love writing it, though, and I hope everyone else is enjoying it as well.**

**I want to give a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed. I always light up whenever I see a new review or see that someone has decided to follow or favorite my story. I hope you all continue to enjoy what I put out there.**

**Thank you all again! Should have a new chapter out before the New Year.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 10**

_"Hey, I'm home," Nikolias called out._

_ Silence was all he got in response._

_ "Are you not home?"_

_ Again, no response._

_ "Odd, I don't remember her saying she was going out," Nikolias whispered to himself. He shrugged it off and walked towards the kitchen._

_ Suddenly, an awful odor hit his senses. He sniffed the air a few times and his nose crinkled; it was blood. He knew that scent well._

_ 'Why do I smell blood?' he thought. He was starting to get a feeling of foreboding. Something was not right. "Is anyone here?" he called out. He then saw that the bedroom door, which was always closed, was slightly open. "Michelle, are you there?"_

_ He slowly crept towards the door, the smell of blood intensifying. His entire body was stiff with fear of the unknown. What was behind the door?_

_ And then a new scent hit him. This one was faint, almost completely masked by the smell of fresh blood, but it was there and it was unmistakable. It was a scent that always reminded Nikolias of a meadow filled with blooming flowers and a gentle breeze blowing pollen through the air. It was a scent that always relaxed Nikolias and brought him peace of mind. On this particular day, however, it filled him with dread and quickened his pace to the door. He threw the door fully open, allowing it to crash into the wall. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him._

_ The room was torn apart. Furniture was knocked over, broken candles lay scattered about, and belongings were thrown haphazardly around the room._

_ The floor was stained a dark red from the massive amounts of blood._

_ And lying in a pool of blood was a beautiful young woman._

_ "MICHELLE!" Nikolias roared as he ran to the young woman's side. "Michelle, wake up! Michelle, answer me!" He shook her lightly over and over as he attempted to awaken her. It took a few minutes for reality to set in. And when it did, it hit hard._

_ Michelle's body was covered in deep puncture marks, most likely caused by multiple stabbings from a knife of some kind._

_ Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. He held her tightly, not even caring that Michelle's blood was staining every fiber of his clothing. He wanted to be with her._

_ "Michelle, please don't leave me," he sobbed. He slowly began rocking back and forth on his knees. He didn't even notice the wood of the floor tear small cuts in his flesh as he rocked. "Please, I need you, Michelle. You can't be dead."_

_ But Michelle had been dead for a few hours._

_ The sun began to set on the day as Nikolias sat in a corner, staring at the corpse of his beloved laid out peacefully on the bed. His clothes were heavy with blood and his hands and forearms were covered in it as well. He had been crying for hours and the tears had finally run out. The sorrow, however, remained._

_ "How could this happen?" he rasped. "Why is she dead? Who would do this? She was so innocent." He lifted his knees up to his chest and buried his face into his thighs before shouting as loud as he could, "She never did anything wrong!"_

_ It was then that Nikolias noticed a faint scent that he had ignored due to the current situation. He knew that smell. It was like fertilizer and fear…_

_ 'The townspeople…they killed her…' he thought._

_ Sorrow was beginning to become replaced by anger._

_ "How could they? She was kind and understanding. Why would they kill her? Is it because of me? Because she fell in love with a dragon? Is this her punishment? How is that fair!?"_

_ His whole body began to tremble with rage._

_ "They all need to pay…" he hissed._

_ He slowly began to get to his feet, his eyes closed as his head hung loose._

_ "They must realize their mistake…"_

_ He stood straight up and curled his lips, revealing fangs. He then whipped up his head and shot open his eyes, revealing golden dragon eyes._

_ "I will make them all pay!"_

_ And then everything went red._

* * *

Nikolias bolted upright, panting heavily and sweating profusely. He looked around and saw nothing but the calm night sky and twinkling stars. The sound of crickets chirping was the only thing to disrupt the peace and quiet. He had found a small clearing in a forest and decided to set up camp for the night. Plus, it was only a few dozen miles away from his destination.

He closed his eyes in an attempt to regulate his breathing and slowly lowered himself back down onto the ground. "Man, I'm fucking glad I woke myself up. I really didn't need to see that again. Still," he reopened his eyes and stared at the darkness above him, "despite how much it sucks to relive these memories, at least I think the reasoning for their sudden reappearance is becoming clearer."

* * *

The mood in Fairy Tail was gloomy. Well, it was gloomier than usual. While most of the guild seemed in the same bright spirits, a particular table was not partaking in the jovial conversations or activities.

Gracie, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Mira all sat at a table in silence.

Gracie sat with her chin balanced on her hands as she stared into space. She'd never admit it out loud, but she didn't feel comfortable letting Nikolias go alone. She knew him well and she knew that if he wanted to go alone, then it was one of two things. The first possibility was that it was something dangerous and he didn't want to risk her or anyone else getting hurt. However, if it was that dangerous, then that would mean that Nikolias could be putting his life on the line and that made Gracie feel afraid for his safety. The second possibility is that he was going somewhere that would cause him harm emotionally or mentally and the thought of Nikolias losing the progress he made towards accepting humans back into his life made her nauseous. He had come so far in their ten years together, especially when they came to Fairy Tail. He made friends again. He felt his heart beat faster again, even if he wouldn't admit it to her. She just wished that Nikolias would have let her come along.

Natsu was more upset that a member of Fairy Tail had decided to leave on a secret solo mission. Natsu always had a kind heart and he worried for his family members. He had no idea where Nikolias had gone, but he just hoped that he would return safely and be able to show him more dragon stuff. Still, Natsu could smell something on Nikolias that he had never smelled on him before; fear. He didn't know what Nikolias could possibly be afraid of, but if Nikolias was afraid, then Natsu was afraid for him. Someone as strong as Nikolias shouldn't be afraid of anything, yet wherever he was going, Natsu knew that it was someplace he dreaded going.

Lucy was saddened by the sudden leaving of Nikolias. He had been someone that she always saw as kind-hearted, despite his and Gracie's job. He had always gotten along with people in the guild and she especially enjoyed seeing the relationship he had with Natsu. It was like he was an older brother to Natsu, showing him things to make him stronger, but always making sure that Natsu was safe. She would also always feel eternally grateful towards Nikolias for saving Natsu during the mission in Freesia Town. She didn't know what she would have done if Natsu had been killed. It was truly in that moment that Lucy saw a friend in Nikolias, for she had been afraid of him for some time. He was now someone that she felt she could entrust her life to and she was sure that there were others in the guild who felt the same. She looked over at Natsu and saw how sad he looked. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and gave a smile which she returned. She knew that they were both thinking the same thing; _'Please, let Nikolias come back soon.'_

Erza and Gray were both feeling the same thing. They saw a friend leave to who-knows-where and they feared that wherever it was, Nikolias would be unable to return. They had accepted Nikolias into their lives and he was a friend to them, a part of their family. They truly believed that family should stick together and fight alongside each other, but they could tell from Nikolias' tone and expression that he needed to go alone for this. They felt confident that he was strong enough to take care of himself, so they made no objections, but still, they couldn't help but worry. The fact that he told Gracie to stay behind was what worried them the most, especially Erza, who considered Gracie a close friend. She knew what Gracie could do, and yet Nikolias was adamant that he go alone. This worried Erza, making her wonder if Nikolias was getting into something that he couldn't actually handle alone.

Then there was Mira. She felt her heart drop in her chest when she heard Nikolias say that he was leaving. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted Gracie to keep him from doing this. However, none of these things would come to be. She watched him fly away and in that moment, she felt like she was being crushed under an enormous weight. She feared that he was never coming back, despite his promise. It wasn't that she thought he was just abandoning them; she was terrified that he was going to die. All through last night, as she lay in bed staring at the moon, she ran through all of the best memories she had with Nikolias. The first time she saw him, the eye contact they held during Gracie's explanation, the first time she saw his partial transformation, standing with him while Erza and Gracie sparred, watching him with awe as he sparred with Natsu, the feeling of joy she had when he asked to do a mission with her, the night in Shirotsume when they fell asleep in each other's arms, their battle against the monster, the surprise gift he gave her, the festival and the fireworks…remembering all of these wonderful memories made her cry uncontrollably. She wished that he was beside her, holding her in his strong arms and comforting her. She wished she could be with him right now and forever. She wanted him back.

"My, aren't you all a chipper group?"

The group turned to see Makarov standing by the table and smiling at them.

"Sorry Master, we were all just thinking," Erza said.

"No need to apologize. It only makes sense that you all would be the most affected by Nikolias' decision. Just know that he will be alright and we will see him again soon," Makarov said, trying his best to comfort his saddened children. "Now, I know that Nikolias wouldn't want you to be saddened by his brief departure, so try and enjoy yourselves, alright?"

"Yes Master," they mumbled in unison.

They all stood from the table and attempted to immerse themselves in the happiness of the rest of the guild, praying that it would bring their thoughts away from Nikolias, if only for a moment.

* * *

Nikolias stood atop a 50 foot cliff, staring down at the barren land before him. A strong wind blew in from the west and he closed his eyes. A sad smile crept to his face. _'This wind hasn't changed at all.'_

He leapt from his perch on the cliff to the ground below. He landed gently despite the height, barely disturbing the dirt. He stood and looked around, chose a direction, and began walking.

After roughly ten minutes, Nikolias stopped at a large stone slab. It was covered in weeds and the weather had worn the rock face. He bent down and wiped the stone as clear as he could, brushing away ivy and moss with each sweep of the hand. Once he was satisfied enough, he sat and stared at the stone.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm home."

* * *

"Master Severo, you summoned me?"

A tall man knelt before Master Severo. He was extremely muscular and bore very similar tattoos to Master Severo. He had cold gray eyes that showed no emotion whatsoever. He wore no shirt, revealing a heavily scarred chest.

Master Severo turned around to face his subordinate. "Critik. Thank you for arriving so quickly. I have a job for you."

"Of course, Master Severo. Your wish is my command."

"An excellent attitude." An evil grin appeared on his face. "Critik, you have been my right hand man for years. I have trained you myself. You are the only one I can trust with this assignment."

"Yes, Master Severo. What is it that you wish me to do?"

"I don't believe it would be fair to unleash the full power of the Bloody Moon guild upon Fairy Tail. There would be no sport in that."

"Yes, Master Severo."

"Critik. I want you to go to Magnolia and destroy them all."

"Yes, Master Severo."

"Good answer. You're dismissed. Leave for Magnolia as soon as you are prepared."

"Yes, Master Severo." He stood up and bowed before turning and leaving to make preparations.

Severo laughed wickedly. "Fairy Tail will soon fall and once they do, all will fear the might of the Bloody Moon guild."

* * *

"Sorry that I haven't visited in a long time…or at all," Nikolias said.

He smiled sadly at the stone before him. He sat in silence as he gathered all of his thoughts. Once he felt like he knew what he wanted to say, he began.

"I guess I should start with the obvious, huh? I really miss you. Not a day goes by when I don't think about you. I just hope that you can forgive me. I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you."

He stopped as he felt his throat tighten. He shook his head violently, trying his best to keep the tears from falling. He took some deep breaths and once he felt better, he continued.

"I know I should have come to visit, but it…it hurt too much. I couldn't bring myself to face that pain. I bet your wondering what changed, though. Why am I here now if it hurts? The answer is pretty simple, you know. You were always the person I could talk to about everything. You were always so understanding and you were always there for me. And I really need to talk to you now more than ever. I guess I'll start with catching you up, though.

"I met someone when I was roaming. Her name is Gracie and she's become my best friend. She's like a sister to me. We've been working and travelling together for about ten years now. It's been a lot of fun. She pisses me off sometimes, but it's just 'cause she thinks she's funny. She's also the one who started to show me that I could live a normal life again and I'm extremely thankful for that. I don't know what I would have done without her. It's also because of her that I ended up becoming part of the Fairy Tail guild. They're a great group of wizards. They celebrate nearly everything, but they're extremely kind and they care for each other. I…I can honestly say I feel at home there." He chuckled lightly. "That's the first time I've been able to say that for a long time. Anyway, that's pretty much the highlights of my life since last we spoke."

He paused to take a deep breath. He knew talking about these next parts was going to be hard. "There's something I really need to talk to you about. Lately, I've been reliving the two worst moments of my life. The two times when I…changed. It's happening more and more frequently, too. I don't know what it means. What could it mean? Why after all this time would I start reliving those moments more frequently instead of less frequently? I can't wrap my head around it." He stopped to look at the stone in silence before chuckling lightly. "God, I wish you could answer me. You would know what to say. You always knew what to say. Well I do have one thought and it may provide an answer, but I'm so unsure of it.

"Could it be that I'm moving on with my life and I feel guilty? Is having new friends making me experience some sort of…survivor's guilt? I don't know if I'm right or not, but it's the only thing I can think of. Am I subconsciously punishing myself for trying to move on, making new friends and even possibly…falling in love again?"

He looked at the ground before he continued. "I have to ask, do you think this is the real reason why I'm reliving these moments? Because I'm wondering if these feelings I have are wrong. I love you with all my heart and I'm wondering if my head is trying to tell me that feeling love for anyone else is wrong. What do you think? Am I wrong to feel guilty about moving on in that aspect?"

He looked back at the stone, his eyes praying for an answer he knew he would never get. After a few moments, he sighed, indicating that he realized that he was waiting for nothing. He gave a sad smile to the stone. "You may not be able to answer, but even now, just talking to you makes me feel better."

He stood from his seat and smiled down at the stone. "Well I should be off. I have to get back to Fairy Tail before Gracie and the others start to worry. I'll try to come back and visit soon. Thanks for listening, Michelle."

He bent over and kissed the stone before allowing his wings and tail to appear. He shot the stone one last look, then leapt into the air and flew off.

"Time to go back home."

* * *

A few days had passed since Nikolias' departure and the sad dispositions had all but vanished. Gracie had begun to feel better as the days passed, feeling less and less worried by the day. Her increasing good mood made Erza feel better, which made Gray and Natsu feel better, which made Lucy feel better. They were all still a little worried about Nikolias, but it didn't keep them down. Even Mira was feeling better, although many could tell that some of her smiles were faked at times. She couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that had washed over her when Nikolias left.

Still, the guild seemed to have returned to normal, full of laughter and good times.

Until the explosion.

* * *

Critik stood on the outskirts of Magnolia, looking down at the peaceful town. He scanned the area before his cold eyes fell on a tall building. He recognized it easily.

"Fairy Tail." He cracked his knuckles and neck. "Master Severo won't want to be kept waiting. Better get started."

He lifted his right arm and the red tattoos that wrapped around it lit up. After a few seconds, the light disappeared and blood began rising from his skin. He then called some blood in his hand with magic before pointing it towards Fairy Tail.

"BLOOD BOMB!" he called out, forcing the blood ball to shoot from his hand at high speed towards Fairy Tail.

* * *

Everyone in Fairy Tail ran outside to see what the explosion was from. They all looked around, but saw nothing.

Overhead, another explosion went off, destroying the roof and sending wood splinters cascading down upon the mages.

"ICE MAKE SHIELD!" Gray called out. A thick shield of ice appeared over everyone's heads, protecting them from any harm.

"Good move, Gray," Makarov complimented. "Alright, whoever you are, you better come out!"

"I'm impressed," said a dead voice.

Everyone turned to see a tall, muscular man walking towards them with blood dancing around his body.

"Identify yourself!" Erza demanded as she instantly changed to her Heaven's Wheel Armor.

"Does it matter? You will all soon be dead," the man said. There was absolutely no emotion in his voice.

"Identify yourself!" Erza demanded again.

"Very well. Consider it a parting gift. I am Critik of the Bloody Moon guild."

"Why are you here?" Makarov asked.

"I have been sent here by my Master to destroy the Fairy Tail guild and all of its members."

"Like hell we're gonna let that happen!" Natsu shouted as flames engulfed his fists.

"There's no fighting it. You stand no chance against me."

"We'll just see about that! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu unleashed a ferocious jet of fire from his mouth. It crashed into Critik's body and Natsu smirked at his quick victory.

When the flames died down, however, everyone saw Critik standing before them with burns all over his skin, but otherwise unaffected by the attack.

"He didn't try to dodge it," Gajeel said. "Why the hell would he take that?"

"Simple. I cannot be brought down by fire," Critik responded. "None of you can kill me. It is impossible. Just accept your deaths."

"Fairy Tail never backs down!" Natsu bellowed.

"Very well then. Die fighting. I don't really care how you die as long as you are all obliterated." He put his hands together before slamming them to the ground. "BLOOD CLONES!"

The blood that surrounded him dove onto the ground and began taking the form of multiple clones of Critik. By the end of the spell, a small army of 500 Critiks stood before Fairy Tail.

"Holy shit, what kind of magic does that?" Gracie asked, completely blown away by what she was seeing.

"I don't know, but everyone needs to prepare for a fight!" Erza commanded.

Everyone nodded.

Lucy whipped out a key. "OPEN GATE OF THE LION! LEO!" In a flash of light, Loke appeared before Lucy, ready to fight.

"I'm ready to fight, Lucy. Just give the command," Loke said as he stared down his opponent.

Elfman went into his Beast Soul form, taking the appearance of the Beast, the King of all monsters.

Lisanna took her Animal Form: Tigress form, gaining cat-like claws, a nose, a tail, and ears.

Mirajane used her Take Over magic to take her Satan Soul form.

Gracie summoned her twin katanas into her hands and began to twirl them.

Natsu, Gray, Cana, Makarov, Gajeel, and all the others waited for action, preparing to fight as soon as they needed to. Wendy ran to the back, prepared to heal all who got injured.

The Critik clones charged forward, looking to end things quickly.

Erza raised her sword. "Attack!"

* * *

Nikolias flew through the air with increased speed. A few moments ago, he felt like something bad was happening back at Fairy Tail. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that there was no time to waste. He flapped his wings with more and more ferocity, willing himself to fly faster.

_'I can't lose anyone else. I won't.'_

* * *

The clones were proving to be much stronger than they appeared. Being blood clones, they had the ability to harden their bodies wherever they willed it, so the only way to bring them down was to surprise them. That was easier said than done since they packed a solid punch.

Lucy had been fighting them off with her whip as best she could while Loke was fighting multiple enemies at once. He had taken down a few, but was expending a lot of energy.

"Lucy, I'm running low on power. These guys are tough and I can't run through them easily," Loke called out to her as he blocked an incoming punch.

"Alright Loke, you can leave. I'll summon someone else. Thank you for the help."

He nodded before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Lucy whipped out another key. "OPEN GATE OF THE—" She was interrupted by a sneak punch to the back and she fell to the ground. She tried to get back up, but the punch had caught her spleen and she couldn't quite move with the pain. Suddenly, she was surrounded by half a dozen clones. Her eyes widened as she reached for the whip she had dropped after the punch. But she saw that she wasn't going to be in time.

"FIRE DRAGON PULSE!"

Out of nowhere, a ball of fire connected with one of the clones, causing it to melt away instantly. A pulse of fire then shot out from the fireball, blowing away the remaining clones and causing them to splatter from the impact with the ground or building.

Lucy turned with tears in her eyes. "Natsu!"

Natsu ran over to her. "Lucy, are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, thanks to you."

Natsu gave her his signature grin. "I'll always protect you, Lucy."

She blushed as she wrapped her arm around Natsu's shoulders.

He hoisted her up. "Can you walk?"

"I think so," she said as she let go of Natsu. She stood shakily on her feet, but she could still stand.

"Good. I'll stay by you and provide support."

"Thank you, Natsu."

"Lucy! Natsu! Are you two alright?" Gray called out as he ran over.

"Yeah, we're okay, Gray. How are you doing?" Lucy asked.

Gray pointed behind him. "I just took out a few. These things won't go down easily. I had to freeze them, which seemed to stop the blood flow. That let me shatter them easily."

"Yeah, these things are tough," Lucy agreed.

"How many more would you say there are?" Natsu asked.

Gray shook his head. "Even if I could count how many are left, it wouldn't matter."

Lucy lifted an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Erza walked over. "Because this Critik guy continues to create new clones."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah, just look over there." He pointed to Critik and, sure enough, every now and then, he would create more clones. "Every time we take some out, he just replenishes his downed forces. It's never-ending. We'll run out of magic before he runs out of clones."

"He appears to be fighting with his blood, so if we can outlast his blood, then we should be able to win," Erza said.

"It may not be that easy."

The group turned to see Gracie and an untransformed Mira and Lisanna running over.

"Why not?" Erza asked.

Gracie looked at her. "This guy may be using blood, but I noticed something on these clones. Have you all seen the tattoos?" She got nods from everyone. "I think those act as reserves. He's running through his tattoos first before he dives into his own supply."

"You're kidding," Lucy said. "So how do we win?"

Gracie gave her a wink. "Kill the clones and hope they don't kill us. That's how."

Erza looked to Mira and Lisanna. "Why aren't you two in your Take Over forms?"

"We ran out of energy. It took more to kill these clones then I realized," Mira admitted.

"We're in a bad situation," Erza said. "Alright, for now, we fight together. We watch each other's backs. Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Gracie, you and I are front line defense. Natsu and Gray, you keep an eye on Mira, Lisanna, and Lucy. Kill any clones who get near. Lucy, when you feel well again, join in. Let's go!"

Erza and Gracie jumped forward, slashing at any clone in their path. Even with their sword skills and speed, the clones were able to react to most of the attacks fast enough to harden their bodies. They both swung furiously, looking to catch the clones off guard, but it proved to be a time consuming task. Eventually, a clone would slip up and fall to a cut, but with the sheer numbers of the clones, taking advantage of weaknesses was proving to be difficult.

Natsu and Gray stood guard over the three girls, blasting away any clone that approached. Natsu fired Fire Dragon Pulse after Fire Dragon Pulse and Gray had summoned his Ice Cannon to shoot down any clone that got even remotely close.

Although clone after clone fell, more and more would appear as Critik kept on creating clones to replace the fallen.

"This won't end!" Gray called out in frustration.

"Keep going! We can't lose to them!" Erza called out as she sliced through a clone.

Gracie nodded. "Yeah, Fairy Tail doesn't quit, right? We'll win."

"It would be nice if Nikolias were here," Gray said. "We could use the extra fire power."

"Yeah, he has poor timing," Gracie said as she danced away from a clone attack and swiftly cut off its head. "But we can win without him."

"Right!" everyone cheered.

* * *

Critik watched his clones work. He was amazed that so many clones had fallen and not a single Fairy had been killed, but he figured it was only a matter of time. They were tiring and his clones never felt fatigue. He knew that sooner or later, they would all fall and Fairy Tail would be destroyed.

However, he grew bored of seeing no Fairy blood. He craved it. Seeing other people bleed was the only thing that gave him any emotion; excitement. He decided that toying with them was not enough, so he decided to weaken their morale a bit. He looked around and saw two girls sitting behind a group of two boys and three girls. He could tell that they had exhausted their magic so he knew that they would be easy targets.

He lifted his hand and pointed his index finger towards one of the white haired girls. "BLOOD SPEAR!" A hardened, pointed trail of blood shot from Critiks hand at incredible speed and impaled his target. He grinned with excitement as he saw blood shoot from the wound he had inflicted.

* * *

"MIRA!"

Everyone ran to her side once they had seen a spike of blood shoot past them and impale their friend. Gracie sliced through the blood, causing it to disappear.

Mira coughed, sending out a little blood. "I'm okay," she said as she held the wound. "It didn't hit anything major."

"Wendy!" Erza called out. The young dragon slayer heard her and ran over immediately. "Please Wendy, heal Mira."

Wendy turned to look at Mira and gasped when she saw the wound. She ran to Mira's side and began to heal her. "This would is deep. It will take some time. Please, give me some cover." She never took her eyes away from the wound as she spoke.

"You heard her. Provide cover for them," Erza said as she took up a defensive stance.

"Right!" everyone shouted in unison as they prepared themselves to defend Wendy and Mira.

The clones kept on coming. Everyone in Fairy Tail was nearing their limit. Wendy was healing Mira as fast as she could, knowing that at any minute, someone else could need her help.

"It's over, Fairy Tail," Critik called out. "Accept your fates and embrace the death that awaits you all."

"Never!" was the resounding response from all in the guild.

"Pathetic. Allow me to show you how foolish you are."

Suddenly, black clouds covered the sky. Everyone looked up to see what was happening. Even the clones.

"What's he doing now?" Laxus called out.

"What could this be?" Levy asked.

"This is bad news for sure," Gajeel mumbled.

It was then that Erza noticed Critik wasn't doing anything. In fact, he too was looking at the sky. "Everyone, this isn't Critik's doing. Be on your guard! This could be a new enemy."

But Gracie felt something. Something familiar. She stared at the sky before she realized. "Those aren't clouds…" she whispered. She stared past Critik and his clones and saw a figure standing a few hundred feet behind Critik. Her eyes immediately lit up. "NIKY!"

Everyone turned to look at her and then followed her eyes to see what she was staring at. Once they saw, they too felt relief. Standing there was indeed Nikolias, shadows pouring from his body and covering the sky.

"Welcome back, my boy!" Makarov exclaimed.

"Took ya long enough," Gray said.

"Glad to see you decided to join the party," Gajeel joked.

"Nikolias," Mira whispered as tears filled her eyes. She wished that she could run to him and hug him, but her wound hadn't been healed yet.

"You there," Critik called out to Nikolias. "Who are you?"

Nikolias just stood there, head down and fists clenched.

"Answer me," Critik said in what could only be considered his angry tone, even though it was still void of emotion. "Are you a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Again, no response.

Gracie's smile was beginning to fade. Something wasn't right. "Niky?" she called out. "Are you alright?"

Critik stared at the new arrival, wondering who he was, when he noticed something. "You should leave little boy. It is clear this is no place for you since you are crying."

Sure enough, tears were rolling down Nikolias' cheeks.

"Is he really crying?" Natsu asked in disbelief. "Why would he be crying, Gracie?"

But Gracie wasn't listening. She was getting a very bad feeling.

"Run along now and you may still live," Critik called out to Nikolias. "Stay and I have no choice but to kill you."

Nikolias began to tremble slightly. "Your fault…" he rasped.

"If you are speaking, I cannot hear you," Critik called out again.

"It's your fault." Nikolias' voice sounded different. It was deeper, raspier, and each word dripped with venom.

"What was my fault?"

"She's hurt…I couldn't protect her…it's your fault…she needed me…it's your fault…she was innocent…it's your fault…"

"You are not making sense."

"You will pay." The darkness in his voice was clear.

"I doubt that." Critik turned around but looked over his shoulder. "Now please leave so that I may carry out my mission."

"You must realize your mistake." Nikolias' voice was beginning to echo.

"I have made no mistakes. I have no interest in you, so leave."

Suddenly, the entire ground began to shake. Everyone stared at the ground as it moved beneath their feet.

"What is this?" Critik asked. He looked back to Nikolias. "What are you doing, boy?"

It was then that Gracie understood. "Holy fuck. EVERYONE RUN!" she called out.

They all turned to look at her.

"We don't run, Gracie. We're Fairy Tail," Erza said. Everyone nodded and smiled, trying to assure Gracie they could win.

"No, none of you understand!" She then turned to look at Nikolias as tears began running down her face. What she saw proved her fears right. "Niky has lost control."

Everyone turned to look at Nikolias and what they saw made them gasp.

Nikolias had looked up and was glaring straight at Critik. But he wasn't looking at him with regular eyes. His eyes were glowing red. His face showed pure rage and his teeth were pointed. His body trembled as the shadows that were pouring from him ceased.

He stood straight up and narrowed his eyes at Critik. "You hurt her. You will pay. You will realize your mistake." He lifted his hand into the air as he roared, "I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 11**

**A FEW MINUTES AGO**

Nikolias flew with all of his might. He knew something was going wrong. He could smell it. There was something evil in Magnolia and he wanted to be there to protect his friends. He wanted to be there to protect Gracie and Natsu and Lucy and Gray and Erza and he especially wanted to protect Mira.

_'Of all the times for this to happen, it just had to happen when I went away to find answers. Damn it, fly faster!'_ he thought to himself as dread continued to flow through his body. He flapped his wings faster and faster. He knew Magnolia was near.

He broke through the forest border and landed on a rock face. He panted heavily and retracted his exhausted wings and tail as he looked upon the town. He had finally made it to Magnolia.

And there was indeed something wrong. Smoke could be seen in the distance and with his keen hearing, he could pick up the sounds of fighting. He listened carefully and knew instantly where the sounds were coming from.

"Fairy Tail…fuck!" he hissed and ran as fast as he could towards the guild. "Please, don't tell me I'm too late."

He ran and ran until finally, he made it to Fairy Tail—just in time to see Mira impaled by a spear of blood.

Nikolias' eyes went wide as his body froze. He watched as Gracie cut the blood spear. He watched as Wendy ran over and began to heal the wound. Yet none of it registered in his mind. He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't feel anything. He had shut down.

_'I can't believe it…I failed again. I couldn't protect her.'_ He lowered his head and stared at his hands. Images of his past began flashing in his mind. The blood, the corpses, the massacres. Tears began rolling down his cheeks. _'Why? Why can't I ever protect the ones I care about? What the fuck is wrong with me?'_

Shadows began pouring from Nikolias' body and covered the sky as his body began to tense up. The visions from his past flashed through his mind over and over, only this time, a new vision was being added; the sight of Mira being impaled by the blood spear.

_'She's hurt. Is she dead? Please don't be dead. It's my fault. I wasn't here to protect her…no.'_ Anger started to flow through his body, causing him to tremble.

"Your fault…" he rasped.

His mind was filled with nothing but visions of Mira. Her smile, her voice, her touch.

"It's your fault."

He thought about the first time he saw her.

"She's hurt…I couldn't protect her…it's your fault…she needed me…it's your fault…she was innocent…it's your fault…"

He thought about that night in Shirotsume when she comforted him.

"You will pay."

He thought about the night they spent on the hill watching the fireworks, Mira nestled against his side.

"You must realize your mistake."

And then he saw a future that terrified and angered him; Mira lying in a pool of her own blood. _'How could this happen? How could I let her die?'_ Pure rage filled his body and the ground began to shake beneath his feet. _'I remember this feeling, this power.'_ He whipped his head up to glare at his enemy. His eyes were different, however. They weren't his golden brown human eyes or his golden dragon eyes. They were a glowing and angry red. He curled his lips, revealing his pointed dragon teeth and his face was contorted with pure rage. _'I will tear you apart!'_

He stood straight up and narrowed his now red eyes at the man that stood before him. "You hurt her. You will pay. You will realize your mistake." He lifted his hand into the air as he roared, "I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

* * *

"Boy, you are becoming an issue," Critik warned. "I would much rather not deal with you."

Nikolias didn't seem to acknowledge what Critik said. He just glared at him with red eyes before lowering his hand and shouting, "LAY WASTE!" Hundreds of shadow tendrils shot down from the sky at high speed, impaling each and every one of Critik's clones and causing them to instantly liquefy and pool on the ground. The Fairy Tail wizards had to dodge a few tendrils as well, however no one was hit. Multiple tendrils impaled Critik himself, rooting him to the spot.

"A most impressive move," Critik said calmly as blood ran from his lips and down his chin. "However, blood is my weapon. You have only made me stronger." He lifted his arm. "BLOOD BOMB!" Ball after ball of blood was fired at Nikolias.

Nikolias jumped into the air to dodge the shots. While in midair, he brought his hands together, allowing shadows to collect in between his palms. He then grabbed the orb with his right hand and pulled it back. "NEVERMORE!" He thrust his right hand forward and unleashed a ferocious blast of darkness towards Critik.

Critik tried to move, but found himself still anchored to his location by shadow tendrils so Nikolias' new attack collided with him fully. The impact caused an enormous explosion that sent debris, dirt, stone chips, and pressurized air out in all directions.

Everyone in Fairy Tail made to shield their eyes from the force of the blast. Once it had died down, everyone looked to see Critik, now free from the tendrils, still standing with blood dripping down his body.

"How the fuck did he survive that?" Gajeel said incredulously.

"He took that blast head on and is still standing," Juvia added.

"What incredible power. I've never seen anything like this," Makarov commented.

"I'm gonna help Nikolias!" Natsu said. He began to run forward but was stopped by Gracie. "Gracie?"

"We have to stay as far away as possible," Gracie said. Tears were still falling from her eyes as she looked at Nikolias and Critik fighting. "Things are only going to get worse from here."

"What do you mean?" Erza asked.

Gracie looked at her. "You saw those shadow tendrils. They had no direction. They were meant to strike anyone."

"So it was a difficult move to control," Gray shrugged.

"What are you getting at, Gracie?" Makarov inquired. He could see how upset Gracie was.

"I told you. Niky has lost control. He's only going to get angrier and angrier until there is nothing left to destroy."

"You're joking," Lucy said. "What do we do then?"

"I'm thinking," Gracie answered. "I've never dealt with this before. I don't know how to stop this."

"But you clearly know about it," Makarov said.

"Yes, but only from what Niky has told me."

"So then he's told you how to stop it?"

Gracie looked away. "I only know how it's been stopped in the past." She looked back to Makarov. "The only way Niky has calmed down from this is when there is no one left to attack."

Everyone stared at her.

"Wh…what do you mean?" Lucy stammered.

Gracie turned to face her. "When Niky loses control like this, he can't distinguish ally from enemy. He'll tear apart anyone he sees."

"But there must be a way to stop it!" Erza demanded.

"I'm thinking!" Gracie said as the tears intensified. "I just…I just don't know!"

Makarov walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm. "Just relax and think. We have complete faith in you."

Gracie looked around to see everyone smiling and nodding. She gave them all a sad smile. "You guys…thank you." She turned to face the fight as she racked her brain for a solution to the problem at hand.

The fight between Nikolias and Critik was intensifying. Critik was firing off Blood Bomb after Blood Bomb and Nikolias easily dodged each one. Once he had an opportunity, Nikolias would fire a ball of shadow at Critik which he dodged without much effort. However, Critik had to get as clear from the balls as possible, for the impact they made with the ground caused a lot of radial damage.

"You are very interesting, boy. What is this style you are using?" Critik asked as he sent out another Blood Bomb.

However, Nikolias wasn't registering anything being said to him. All that he was thinking about was destroying the man in front of him. He dodged the incoming Blood Bomb with ease, but before he could counter, Critik was right in front of him.

"Die now. BLOOD HAMMER!" Critik swung his fist down, colliding with Nikolias' back and slamming him into the ground with immense force. A massive cloud of dust rose up from where Nikolias' body collided with the earth. Critik leapt back a few times and stared at the area where his foe was surely lying dead. "You were a most challenging opponent. I give you my congratulations. However, you needed to be eliminated."

Suddenly, the dust smokescreen was forced away by an incredibly strong wind. Critik had to move his arm in front of his eyes to block the incoming dirt. Once the dirt was cleared, Critik moved his arm and his face actually showed what could have been considered surprise.

Before Critik was standing Nikolias in his partial dragon form. His eyes were still glowing red and shadows poured from his mouth with every pant.

Nikolias threw his head back and unleashed a massive roar that sent chills down everyone's spines. He then went down on all fours and ran at Critik with blinding speed. Before Critik could react, Nikolias jumped on him, dug his claws into his torso, and bit down into his neck, sending drops of blood into the air.

Critik grabbed Nikolias and attempted to pull him off, but his fangs were refusing to relinquish the grasp they had on his flesh. "Release me, creature!" he shouted as blood spurted from his mouth, but it was having no effect on Nikolias. He kept holding on, deep growls escaping his throat and red eyes attempting to burn holes through Critik's skin.

Nikolias unlatched his right hand from Critik's shoulder and drove it through his chest. His claws appeared on the other side of Critik, bloodied and grasping a small bundle of dark red tissue.

Lucy felt nauseous. "Is that…his _heart_?"

Nikolias released his claws and fangs and tore his hand out of Critik's flesh. He balanced on his hind legs and continued to glare at Critik as he watched the shock in the man's eyes. He then turned his attention to the organ in his hand and snarled before biting down into it. He ripped off a chunk and swallowed before tossing the rest away.

Critik's eyes turned towards Nikolias. "A very impressive strategy. However," he stood straight up and smirked at Nikolias, "I don't need my heart to live. Blood pumps through me even without my heart. That is a huge benefit to my magic; Blood Circulate Magic. Blood is my weapon and it will always serve me. Now, what will your next attack be?"

Nikolias was still not perceiving the words spoken to him, but with the rage that was coursing through his veins, he wasn't too thrilled to see the enemy still alive. He roared again and took to the skies. Once he reached a few hundred feet into the air, he released black flames from his mouth that headed straight for Critik. Critik dodged them easily, but Nikolias kept up the flames, chasing Critik around with the desire to burn him alive.

Critik made one final dodge and positioned himself to head straight for the hovering Nikolias. He covered his hand in hardened blood and called out "BLOOD HAMMER!" before firing his fist at Nikolias.

Nikolias stopped his fire and right as Critik's attack was going to hit, he vanished and then instantly appeared behind Critik.

"What?" was all Critik could utter before Nikolias' tail collided with the full length of his spine and sent him spiraling down to the ground. He collided with the stones with a sickening thud.

Nikolias wasn't going to give him the opportunity to stand up this time. He flew straight at the downed Critik, prepared to rip him limb from limb. Critik, however, managed to stir just in time to send his blood out to act as a shield. Nikolias collided with the shield and was angered by the object that stood before him and his prey. He slashed at it over and over in an attempt to shatter it, cracking it little by little with each strike.

Critik leapt out of the way just as Nikolias broke through his Blood Barrier. _'Whatever this boy is, he is extremely powerful. I've never seen anyone break my Blood Barrier so easily.'_

Nikolias looked at the ground where his prey should have been and roared at the empty ground. He sniffed the air and picked up Critik's scent. He turned to face him and roared once more. Suddenly, the ground began to shake as shadows began leaking out of Nikolias' skin. He glared at Critik before releasing one last blood curdling roar. And with that roar, Nikolias disappeared inside a tall pillar of thick shadows.

Gracie dropped to her knees at the sight before her. "Oh God, no…"

"Gracie? What's wrong?" Erza asked.

"This is bad…we need to leave…" she mumbled.

"Gracie what's happening?" Makarov demanded.

"He's transforming. He's becoming a dragon. This is bad…in this condition, Niky will destroy the entire town. He's nothing but rage right now," Gracie said and then gave a sad laugh. "It's his curse."

Everyone turned and watched the pillar of shadows intently, preparing themselves for what they were about to see.

Critik, too, watched the pillar. "What is this move, boy?" he called out. "Is this your last resort?"

As if in response to Critik's remarks, the pillar expanded and exploded, sending out a massive pulse of wind and shadow. Everyone braced themselves, trying to avoid being blown away by the sheer force of the explosion. When the wind eventually died down, everyone looked back to see a large shadowy mist floating where the pillar used to be.

"What is that?" Natsu asked.

"That is the worst thing that could possibly happen right now," Gracie responded.

Out of the mist, an enormous clawed foot shot out and slammed into the ground, shaking it violently. Seconds later, an enormous tail protruded from the mist and whipped around before crashing into the terrain.

"Oh my God," Lucy breathed.

After the tail, a set of massive black wings erupted from the mist and stretched fully, revealing a 25 foot wingspan. The wings then flapped violently, blowing away all of the mist and unveiling a truly incredible sight.

Standing there was an enormous black dragon. Black scales covered its entire body. Long, thick blades stuck out from its front legs, looking like black scythes. Long, sword-like claws dug into the ground. A long black tail swished around on the ground. Large plates rose along its spine, decreasing in size as it reached the tip of its tail and up the neck. Out of its muscular body, a long neck stretched high into the sky and connected to that long neck was an enormous head. Long pointed teeth shone in the light as it snarled. Bony spikes rose from the back of its skull. Large nostrils blew out shadows with each breath. And its eyes glowed a deep, bright red as it glared at Critik. It lifted its head, opened its jaws, and roared. This was no ordinary roar, however. This roar shook the very ground. This roar could be felt for miles. This roar was deafening.

This roar was pure rage.

"Is that…Nikolias?" Erza gasped in disbelief.

All Gracie could do was nod as the tears kept falling.

Nikolias lowered his head to get a better view of his prey. He snarled at Critik before disappearing into the ground.

"Where did you go, coward?" Critik called out. For the first time in his life, he felt fear. A mighty dragon had suddenly appeared before his eyes and then suddenly disappeared without explanation. "Come and fight me!"

"Gracie, where did he go?" Gray asked.

"You'll see," she whispered as her eyes looked straight ahead at nothing.

Critik scanned the area, his head whipping around, searching desperately for the dragon. Sweat rolled down his face. "Show yourself!" he bellowed.

And he got his wish.

From directly below Critik, Nikolias' head appeared from the shadows with his jaws wide open. Everyone stared in horror as the dragon's jaws snapped shut, cutting Critik in half. Critik's top half fell to the ground and lay motionless while his bottom half was swallowed whole.

"Holy shit!" Gray exclaimed. "He _ate_ him!"

Nikolias licked his lips as he pulled himself from the shadows. Once his body had completely reappeared, he let out an enormous, victorious roar. He then started walking towards the town.

"Where's he going?" Natsu asked.

Gracie held her head in her hands as she sobbed, "He's going on a blind rampage."

"What? Why?"

"It's what happens when he loses control."

"But why did he lose control?" Erza asked.

"Because he thought Mira died. He must have seen her get hurt and he got it in his mind that Mira died from the injury."

"But I'm perfectly fine," Mira said.

Suddenly, Gracie's head snapped up and she stopped crying. "Yeah, you are fine." She then whipped her head around and looked at Mira with a large smile on her face. "That's it! That's gotta be it!"

"What is it, Gracie?" Makarov asked.

Gracie stood up. "Wendy, heal Mira as fast as you can! I need her 100% healthy in order to stop Niky."

Wendy nodded and increased her healing power.

"Gracie, what are you thinking?" Erza asked.

Gracie winked. "If thinking Mira died started the rampage, then I bet seeing Mira completely fine will stop it."

* * *

The entire town of Magnolia was facing Fairy Tail. They had been hearing loud noises for quite some time. However, it was nothing to be alarmed about. They knew that Fairy Tail was always making loud noises. Today was just a typical day.

"Those wizards sure are crazy," one man laughed.

"They need to be more careful unless they want to get themselves killed," a woman commented.

"They're so cool!" a group of kids exclaimed as they jumped in the air excitedly.

And then they heard a mighty roar that reverberated throughout the town. Potted plants fell to the street. Citizens lost their balance. Doors shook open.

"What in the hell was that?" everyone asked.

"Was that a roar?"

"It must be a dragon!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Dragons are long gone."

"What could it have been then?"

"Must be one of those Fairy Tail wizards doing some magic or something."

After a few minutes, another loud roar shook the town. People were beginning to feel concerned. Mothers began ushering their children indoors. Store owners started closing up shop. Even the pets and strays were whimpering and seeking shelter.

And then the ground began to shake. And then again. And then again.

"Earthquake?" People were beginning to panic.

The ground was beginning to shake more and more violently and it was getting louder, almost like approaching footsteps.

And then it appeared. A massive black dragon had walked right into town. It roared as it looked around. People screamed and ran for their lives. "DRAGON!" could be heard all throughout town amidst the screams and cries.

The dragon roared, swung its tail, and leveled a building with one swing.

"Dragon attack! Run!"

The mighty beast continued to attack the town, destroying buildings with its tail, stomping carts and carriages with its feet, and lighting the town ablaze with black flames.

The end of Magnolia was imminent.

* * *

_'Die. They all need to die. They all need to burn. They are all responsible for her death. I will devour them. They will all pay!'_ These were the only thoughts Nikolias had as he rampaged through Magnolia.

* * *

"Hurry everyone!" Makarov called out. "He's made it to the town!"

Erza turned to Gracie who was running beside her. "Gracie, please go over the plan once more."

Gracie nodded. "It goes like this. All of you will try to make sure the townspeople are evacuated and safe while Mira and I attempt to get Niky's attention. When we have his attention, I'm going to try and soothe him and Mira and I will try to reason with him that Mira is indeed alive and standing in front of him. However, Ican't guarantee the success of this plan since I've never had to do this before. I am confident, though. I mean, it makes sense in my mind."

"We trust you completely, Gracie," Lucy assured her.

"Alright then, I'll say this one last thing and please follow it to the letter. Under no circumstances are you to attack Niky unless you want everyone to die and the entire town of Magnolia to lie in burning ruins."

"Understood," Makarov said.

A loud roar echoed through the town and after a few more feet, everyone could see the massive Shadow Dragon, Nikolias, standing before them, destroying their hometown.

"Alright, go!" Gracie called out and Fairy Tail split up to perform its duties. Mira and Gracie, however, ran straight for Nikolias. They ran past him, dodging his tail and footsteps, only stopping to avoid being burned by his fire. Once they reached his head, they ran and turned to face him. "Niky!"

However, Nikolias couldn't hear them. He was too blinded by his rage and paid no attention to anything but the destruction he wished to cause.

"Damn it. He can't hear me," she mumbled. She reached down and picked up a few pieces of a broken cart and began throwing them at Nikolias' head. Each one connected with his head and fulfilled their purpose; Nikolias now noticed them. He turned his head and his eyes stared at Mira and Gracie, a snarl on his face. "Niky, listen to me!"

Nikolias roared as he lowered his head.

"Niky, please stop this! It's pointless! Look, Mira is alive!" She reached out and pulled Mira in front of her. "You don't have to kill these people! She's alive!"

From their hiding spots, the Fairy Tail wizards and the civilians listened and watched as Gracie and Mira attempted to tame Nikolias' rage. All of them prayed that they would succeed.

Nikolias roared and sent a jet of flames at the two in front of him, causing them to leap out of the way.

"Nikolias!" Mira called out as she stood back up. "Please, listen to me! I'm right here!"

Nikolias' head whipped around to glare at her, his fangs still barred.

"C'mon Niky, listen to us," Gracie prayed. She knew that this pretty much relied on Mira now. Only she could stop this.

* * *

_'Die. They all need to die. They all need to burn. They are all responsible for her death. I will devour them. They will all pay…what is that noise?'_

* * *

"Nikolias! I didn't get to tell you this before you left, but you need to know. I won't leave your side. I'll be there for you whenever you need me and I'm here for you now," Mira called out to him. Tears were forming in her eyes. "Please, come back to us! Come back to me! You can control this. You're better than this!"

* * *

_'That sound…what is it…are those words? What are they saying? Who is that?'_

* * *

"Please Nikolias, I'm okay! You don't have to do this! I'm alive and right here! Just come back to me!"

* * *

_'Mira? Is that you? But…you were dead…I saw you die. Wait. Did I see it? Did she die? No, she was only injured, right? Mira, is that really you? Could it be that I haven't failed you?'_

* * *

"NIKOLIAS, PLEASE COME BACK TO ME!"

Suddenly, the snarl disappeared from Nikolias' face.

"Mira, you're doing it!" Gracie said with a big smile. "Keep talking to him."

Mira gave a small nod. "Nikolias we all want you back. Gracie, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Master Makarov, Cana, Lisanna, Elfman, Wendy, Gajeel, Levy, Jet, Droy, Juvia, Alzack, Bisca, Asuka, Macao, Wakaba, Romeo, Laki, Laxus, Gildarts, Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow, Kinana, Max, Happy, Carla, Panther Lily, Reedus, Nab—all of us want you back, especially me! Please Nikolias, just come home."

The glow in Nikolias' eyes began to die down and fade. He continued to look at Mira as his eyes eventually returned to their original golden color, his normal dragon eyes.

"Mira, you did it!" Gracie exclaimed as she jumped in the air. She ran over to Nikolias and threw herself on top of his head. "Niky, can you hear me?"

_"Gracie? What the hell happened? Where am I and why am I in this form?"_

She sat up and looked into one of his eyes. "You lost control, Niky. You thought Mira died and it made you angry. But she brought you back from the rage!"

_"I…I lost control?"_

Her smile faded slightly. "Yeah, you did. It's okay, no one other than our enemy was killed."

_"Are you sure?"_

"Positive."

Nikolias turned his eyes to Mira who was smiling and crying. _"Why is she crying, Gracie?"_

"She's happy you're back and so am I." She turned around on Nikolias' head and called out, "It's okay, everyone! He's back! Niky's back!"

Everyone in Fairy Tail ran out with smiles. Some went to congratulate Mira and the others went to check out Nikolias' form.

"This is kick-ass!" Natsu exclaimed. "You're a dragon!"

"Is Nikolias okay?" Lucy asked.

Gracie nodded. "He's fine. He's just confused and a little upset that he lost control, but other than that, nothing bad to report."

Makarov walked over to the group. "Well it took some convincing, but the townspeople are willing to let Nikolias stay in the area, provided he doesn't destroy the town."

Nikolias' head shot up, forcing Gracie to shoot her hands forward in order to keep her balance. _"The townspeople are pissed? Heh, what am I saying. Of course they are. No, I have to leave. I can't risk staying."_

Gracie slapped his scaly snout. "Niky, you aren't leaving. Nothing bad will happen. Times are different. The townspeople won't do anything, I promise."

Nikolias didn't respond, but the fear was still clear in his large golden eyes.

"Gracie, what was he saying? He's afraid of the townspeople?" Makarov asked.

"It's complicated," she said as she scratched the back of her head.

"Well, I would like to talk to Nikolias about all of this and I desire to know more about his past lest something like this happen again," Makarov said.

Gracie gulped. She knew Nikolias hated talking about this stuff, but she realized if they were going to be part of Fairy Tail, they would have to obey the Master. She slowly nodded and turned to Nikolias' eye. "Hey Niky, do you mind changing back and talking about this stuff?"

Nikolias fixed his eye on Gracie. _"I don't want to talk about my past, Gracie, but I realize that it's probably time they knew, especially if we want to stay. I'm okay with them finding out. However, I currently can't change back. I don't have the energy. Apparently I went all out while I was in that state."_

Gracie nodded and looked at Makarov. "Niky says he understands that you need to know and he's willing to tell you everything. However, he can't change back now because he lacks the energy to do so."

"I see." Makarov scratched his chin. "Well how long until he can change back?"

"Most likely a few hours at the least. He'll change back as soon as he's able."

"Alright, let's head back to Fairy Tail and discuss this further."

* * *

The wizards of Fairy Tail all gathered in the guild hall, fixing things that had been broken and talking about what they had seen while Nikolias curled up outside of the guild and rested in order to regain his strength. Upon arriving, Gracie told Makarov that she would tell the story of Nikolias' past.

"Why is that, my dear?" he asked.

"It's painful for him to talk about. It would be easier if I just told the story. Don't worry; I know everything and I won't leave anything out."

Makarov agreed to this, realizing that Nikolias may have trouble talking about it and he didn't want to risk another incident or risk him getting upset and leaving the guild. He could see how important Nikolias had become to many people in the guild.

* * *

Mira had managed to sneak out of the guild and made her way to where Nikolias slumbered. She wanted to see him. She hadn't seen him in days and suddenly, he was back, and yet not himself. The whole thing confused her, but she had time until Gracie explained everything. She wanted to spend some time with Nikolias. She approached his enormous head and stared. She honestly couldn't believe that this was Nikolias. This was a massive dragon, not a person. And yet she saw it with her own eyes. Nikolias became this powerful creature. She crept closer, admiring the shine of his black scales as they reflected the sunlight. She had never seen a dragon in person and she never dreamed that she would ever get this close. She thought he looked beautiful in this form. She felt the urge to touch him, feel his scales beneath her fingertips. She slowly reached out her hand to touch his snout.

Suddenly, Nikolias' eyes snapped open. Mira gasped as she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Nikolias lifted his head and yawned, revealing his razor sharp teeth and thin, forked tongue. He looked down at Mira, who was now getting back to her feet.

"Sorry Nikolias. I didn't mean to disturb you," she said sheepishly.

He blinked at her.

"I just wanted to check up on you. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Another blink.

Mira sighed. "I wish I could talk to you and have a conversation, but I guess I'll have to wait. I'm going to head back in now since you seem alright. I just wanted to say that…" she paused and looked away blushing, "…I missed you while you were gone and I'm glad you're back." She turned and began walking away. However, she was stopped by a massive tail moving in the way of her path. She turned and saw Nikolias moving his head towards her. "Nikolias, why did you stop me?"

He inched his head closer and made a faint whining sound.

"What is it?" she asked.

He whined again and inched his head even closer.

She looked at him, confusion clear in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you want."

He inched closer until he was poking her stomach gently with his nose.

She giggled. "What, do you have an itch?"

He poked her stomach again and then proceeded to lay his head on the ground.

She smiled gently and went to pet his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you want." She placed her hand on his snout and gently stroked him.

Suddenly, Nikolias began radiating a black aura that moved to surround Mira. Shadows tickled her skin and completely enveloped her. She tore her hand away as she stared at her skin. After a few seconds, the shadows vanished and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What was that?" she asked herself.

_"I didn't mean to scare you."_

Mira looked around. "Who said that?"

_"Mira, it's me. Nikolias."_

Mira slowly turned towards Nikolias, her eyes wide. "N…Nikolias? How can I hear you?"

_"I made the connection with you. It was tough, though. You didn't seem to understand that all I wanted was for you to touch my scales in some way."_

She giggled. "Sorry that I was so clueless."

_"You're not clueless. Anyway, I've made it so that no matter what form I'm in, we can always talk to each other."_

"Really?"

He curled his lips in a toothy grin. _"Absolutely."_

She blushed. "Why?"

He let out a heavy breath. _"Because I enjoy talking to you. And now you don't have to ever wait if I'm like this."_

She placed her hand on his snout again. "Thank you, Nikolias. I truly appreciate this."

_"I'm happy to do it."_

She smiled at him and removed her hand. "Well, I have to get going. Gracie's going to explain your past to us soon and I'd like to hear it."

He raised his head. _"I feared this day would come. I understand that everyone is curious and they deserve to know. You deserve to know. But can you promise me something, Mira?"_

"Of course."

_"After you hear about my past, please don't think less of me. I'm not proud of certain events in my past and they don't define me. Can you promise me that hearing my story won't push you away?"_

She smiled and walked over to him. "Come here." He obeyed and lowered his head. She gently cupped his massive head in her hands and softly kissed his snout. "I promise you that no matter what, I will be by your side."

_"Thank you, Mira."_

She nodded and turned to walk away.

_"Mira."_

She stopped and turned slightly. "Yes?"

_"I missed you, too."_

She gave him one last smile before turning around and heading towards the guild.

* * *

Mira walked into the guild to see everyone sitting around Gracie.

"Ah, there you are Mira," Makarov said with a smile. "Now we can get started."

"Sorry I kept you all waiting. You can begin whenever you wish, Gracie," Mira apologized as she made her way to an open seat.

Gracie smiled at her. "Not a problem." Her expression then became very solemn. "Now I want you all to understand a few things before I start. First of all, this story is not for the faint of heart. This story is very upsetting and we didn't even experience it; Niky did. Second, understand that despite what happens in this story, Niky is not evil. Third, after hearing this story, please don't show Niky pity. After this story, try to treat him like you would anyone else. Pity just makes things harder on him. Does everyone understand?" She got nods in response. "Good. Now, if anyone doesn't want to hear this story out of fear of what they may hear, leave now."

"Gracie, we all wish to hear this story," Erza assured.

Gracie sighed. "Very well. I shall now tell you all the dark story of Nikolias the Shadow Dragon, son of Dagor, King of all dragons. The story begins 800 years ago."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

**Hey everybody! So Nikolias' story has turned out a bit longer than anticipated. In fact, I was half way through when I realized I was approaching 10,000 words. So I decided that it was probably for the best to break it up. Hopefully, Chapter 13 will be the last part of Nikolias' past, but it depends on how it goes. Anyway, enjoy Part 1 of Nikolias' past! Thanks for reading!**

_** Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 12**

**AGE 8**

"You little punk! Get back here!"

Nikolias turned his head around as he ran and stuck out his tongue. "Yeah right, old man!"

"Someone stop him! Thief!"

Nikolias turned into an alley, the bread loaf that he stole clutched firmly in his hand, before diving into his secret crevice that he called home. He hid in the darkness and held his breath, waiting to hear the sounds of the food vendor pass him by.

"Damn it, where'd that little shit go?" he heard the man say as he ran down the alley.

Nikolias snickered. "Too easy." He bit into his dinner and savored the taste. It had been a day and a half since his last meal. "The guy may be slow but he's a good cook." He wolfed down the rest of the bread loaf, brushed off the crumbs that clung to his ratty clothes, peered out of his "house" to make sure no one would see him, and walked out into the alley, acting as casual as possible.

Nikolias had been an orphan since birth. His mother died giving birth to him and his father died a few months after due to disease. He was taken care of by the church in town until he was four, but due to sicknesses creating many orphans, he was forced to leave the care of the nuns to make room for the weak and young. He had been roaming the streets ever since, stealing food to stay alive and venturing a couple miles outside of town and past a mountain range to a river for water. Stealing food was difficult early on. He was easily seen and caught by the vendors before he could take a bite and he was beaten severely each time. With each attempt to steal, he learned new tricks and tactics to avoid being seen and escape with some food. At the age of six, he found a small hole in the side of a building in an alley where he could easily fit. After clearing out rotted pieces of wood and a few dead animals, he knew he had a place to live where he could be sheltered from the weather and a place where he could hide once he successfully stole some food. It was also at this age that he realized that he needed a new set of clothes as the set the nuns gave him was wearing away. It took a couple weeks, but he finally managed to "acquire" new clothes from a merchant while she was helping a customer.

"Okay, I've eaten now, so what to do next?" he asked himself as he wandered the streets of his hometown, Shile. He had no friends or family to visit. He had eaten, so he wouldn't have to steal any food for a while. He had learned early on that it was best not to be greedy and to only steal food when he was in need of sustenance. His two year old clothes were worn, but they still covered him and kept him warm enough, so there was no need to steal new ones yet. He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'll go to the river and get some water. Maybe I'll even get lucky this time and catch a fish to eat." He ran out of town and towards the river.

Although Nikolias lived in Shile, he often stayed out of the town. After all, he was rarely treated well. He received a lot of hate-filled stares and was even unjustly attacked by brutes on rare occasions. He didn't really care too much, though. He understood that their actions were brought on by his stealing. Also, for the most part, people did ignore him which he appreciated.

After roughly an hour and a half, he arrived at the river bank. He scanned the area before spotting a particular tree with a large hole in it and ran to it. He stuck his hand in the hole and pulled out a stick with a sharp stone tied to one end by a rope as well as a poorly constructed net. After obtaining the two items, he ran to the river and stared into the water, looking for a fish to swim by. This particular river didn't contain a lot of fish, but he would see some occasionally, although he never succeeded in catching one. After twenty minutes of no fish, he put down his gear, kneeled on the edge of the river, and stuck his head in the water, drinking up as much liquid as he could. He wiped his mouth dry and released a sigh of satisfaction before returning to his hunt for fish.

Hours went by before Nikolias threw his gear back in the tree and settled down by the river. He stared at the now starlit sky with his arms behind his head. "Well, no fish again, I guess," he said to himself. "Guess I'll just sleep here and make my way back tomorrow." He actually preferred the wilderness to his hole home. It was far more comfortable even if there was no roof or shelter from weather or low temperatures. He closed his eyes and was lulled to sleep by the sounds of the calm, flowing waters.

The warmth of the morning light stirred Nikolias from his slumber. He yawned and stretched before jumping to his feet and continuing to stretch the rest of his body. Once he felt loosened up, he began his trek back to Shile.

He ran through a possible plan for the day, deciding which vendor he would steal from today for food. This week, he had hit the bread maker, the butcher, and the pastry chef and he didn't like to hit the same people within the same couple of weeks for fear that they would have a plan to catch him once he showed his face. "I guess I could steal some fruit today. Maybe some apples, some grapes. Yeah, that should be good. After that, I could just walk around the town. Eh, it's not much, but it's something."

He approached the mountain pass that separated the river from the town of Shile and began to climb the rock face. He had climbed these mountains many times over the years, so despite the difficulty of the climb, he was a natural. To get back to town, Nikolias had to climb up a 70 degree incline before arriving at a path that cut through the mountain. Then, at the end of the path, Nikolias had to climb back down the mountain face at the same 70 degree angle to reach the grassy field that sat between Shile and the mountain.

Nikolias reached the path and took a short breather. No matter how many times he took that path, it still took a lot of energy. "Man that was exhausting. Alright, better keep moving. I can always rest at the end of the path." He straightened up, took one last deep breath, and began to walk the path.

About halfway down the path, a few small rocks started tumbling down the mountain side. He turned quickly at the sound, but saw no massive boulders heading his way. He released a massive sigh of relief and continued walking.

A few seconds later, the same thing happened. A few small rocks started to fall from the top of the mountain, causing Nikolias to turn quickly again. This time, Nikolias was starting to freak out. There was no reason for these rocks to be falling. "Hello? Is someone there?" he called out. He couldn't see anyone, though. His mind was running a mile a minute as panic filled his small body. There was only one thought he had. _'RUN!'_

Nikolias bolted for the end of the path, his eyes wide with fear. The sound of small rocks falling down the mountain side was following him. He knew he was right; something was out there and he really didn't want to meet the creature that was living on the mountain peak.

_'I can't die here. Not like this. I've been though too much to end up being some animal's meal,'_ he thought as he ran.

Suddenly, Nikolias was hit by an intense wind that pushed him backwards. He tried to hold his ground, but the gust was too strong. It forced him to the ground and sent him tumbling backwards into a boulder. He tried to open his eyes, but there was too much dust and pebbles flying through the air. He tried to wait it out calmly, but fear was taking over.

_'What the hell is going on?'_ he thought.

After a while, the wind died down and Nikolias slowly opened his eyes—until he saw what was sitting in front of him, which made his eyes shoot open in surprise.

Sitting in front of Nikolias was a massive black dragon.

"A dragon…" he breathed as he stared at the majestic beast.

"Hello, young one," it spoke. Its voice was deep and Nikolias could feel the vibrations from its voice as it said each word.

"Y…You can t…talk?" he stammered.

It chuckled. "Of course I can. How else would I communicate?"

"Dragon talk?"

The dragon let out a deep and heartfelt laugh. "I suppose you are correct in saying that there is a dialect specific to dragons in which we can communicate with each other, but we dragons have picked up the language of humans over the years in order to convey our wishes, thoughts, and feelings, if ever the need arises."

Nikolias stared blankly at the dragon. "I have no idea what you just said to me."

The dragon brought its head closer to Nikolias. "I suppose you would not. You look no older than ten."

"I'm eight."

"I see," the dragon pulled away from Nikolias. "I have seen you pass through these mountains quite a few times over the years. Pray tell me your purpose for crossing through my domain?"

"Your domain?" Nikolias repeated.

"My kingdom. My home."

Nikolias gulped. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your homeland. The mountains are the quickest way to get from the river to my hometown."

"The nearest town is Shile, young one. That is a few miles from the river. Why travel so far for a resource that your town possesses?"

"Umm…" Nikolias was trying to understand what the dragon was saying to him, but he was using a lot of big words. "I go to the river to get water."

"Yes, but why? Surely the water in town is cleaner."

"Getting water is hard. I don't have a bucket or anything to carry it in."

"Why would possessing a bucket make acquiring water a simpler task?"

"Well then I could get some water, but I'd probably be caught before I could drink any and then I'd have to run and probably spill it all before I could get away. That's why I don't try."

"Young one, why do you speak as if you have nothing?"

"Because I have nothing except for the clothes I'm wearing and a small hole in the side of a building."

"For goodness sake, that is no way to live. Why have you chosen such a difficult life?"

"I didn't choose it," Nikolias said as he puffed out his cheeks. "I had no choice. There was no room for me in the church."

"The church?"

"Where I was raised until I was four."

"So am I to believe that you have no parents and have had to live on your own for four years?"

"Uh, yeah I guess that's right."

The dragon brought its head close to Nikolias again. "Then you are as brave as I predicted."

"Huh?"

"Like I said, I have watched you travel through my home over the years. The path you travel is most difficult, especially for one your size. That takes courage. In addition, you travel alone in what is well-known dragon territory."

"Like I said, I didn't know."

"Of course, I understand that. Tell me, had you known, would you have still travelled this path?"

Nikolias thought for a while. "Umm…I guess I would have. It is the quickest way to get to the river and it's not like I eat a lot so saving energy is kinda important."

The dragon hummed. "An intelligent one, too. You are more than I expected. Will you tell me your name?"

"Nikolias."

"A pleasure to meet you, Nikolias. I am Dagor, the Shadow Dragon and King of all dragons."

"You're the King?"

"Yes I am."

"Wow, is it hard?"

"At times."

"Are you strong?"

"Quite."

"Wow."

"Nikolias, I have one last question for you."

"Okay."

"If given the opportunity for a better life outside of Shile, your hometown, would you take it?"

Nikolias thought about his life; the struggle for necessities, his hole in the wall, the stares, the beatings, the loneliness. Then he imagined a life where none of that existed. A life where he could eat until he was full and drink plenty of clean and fresh water. A life where he lived in comfort. A life where no one hated him and no one beat him for trying to survive. A life where he wasn't alone. "I guess I would."

Dagor lifted his head and looked down at Nikolias. "Then would you like to come live with me?"

Nikolias just stared at Dagor. "Live with you?"

"Yes. I would raise you as my own. I would teach you, train you, and show you a better life. Would you accept?"

"Do people do that?"

"Currently, there are 25 young humans living with dragon parents."

"So there would be others like me?"

"Indeed."

Nikolias thought about it. Living with dragons sounded fun, but at the same time it sounded terrifying. If they got hungry, wouldn't they just eat him? However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this way, he wouldn't be alone. He would have a father again. He would have friends for the first time in his life. He had the chance for a good life and he was going to take it. "I will!"

"Excellent. Now, rise my child." Nikolias did as he was told. "From this day forth, you are Nikolias, son of Dagor and Prince of all dragons."

* * *

**AGE 13**

"Again!" Dagor demanded.

Nikolias nodded and once again, drew shadows into his mouth. "SHADOW DRAGON ROAR!" he bellowed before unleashing a massive vortex of shadows towards a huge tree. The tree trunk already had several markings on it from previous Roars. This Roar collided with the tree, causing it to groan and threaten to topple over.

"Stop!" Dagor called out and Nikolias obeyed, ceasing his Roar. Dagor flew from his position on the sidelines and landed next to the tree. He examined the damage and huffed. "Excellent control, Nikolias. Perfectly placed and the exact amount of power needed. You continue to improve significantly."

"Thanks Dad," Nikolias said with a smile.

Dagor returned his attention to Nikolias. "Alright, now show me your Fist attack. I want to see a perfect indentation exactly in the middle of the markings from your previous Roars."

Nikolias narrowed his eyes and nodded before charging the tree. "SHADOW DRAGON FIST!" Shadows enveloped Nikolias' clenched fists. He leapt at the tree, cocked back his right fist, and let out a battle cry before unleashing his attack at the tree. His fist collided with the tree trunk and sent out a blast of air from the impact. Nikolias leapt back from the tree to admire his work. "How was that?"

Dagor once again examined the tree. "Exactly in the middle and you certainly left quite the crater in this trunk."

"I try."

"Your improvement in your control of power is baffling. When we first started, you were far too focused on destroying everything. Now, you have realized how to hold back. I am most pleased."

"Well, it's been five years. I'm not a kid anymore."

"That you are not. Well I think you have worked hard enough for today. Come, let us return home."

"Sounds good. I do feel pretty beat." Nikolias leapt onto Dagor's back. "You know, you run me ragged sometimes, Dad."

"It is for your benefit. You are strong enough to train with this intensity and that is because I never once took it easy on you."

"I guess I'm grateful now, but back then, I was constantly pissed off. Then again, more often than not I was pissed at myself for not being able to do much."

Dagor spread his massive wings and took to the skies. "And now look at where you are. You have mastered multiple Shadow and Shadow Dragon techniques. You are truly deserving of the title of Prince."

"C'mon, you're making me blush. I'm not that deserving."

Dagor chuckled. "Your attempt at modesty amuses me."

"Whadya mean 'attempt'?"

Dagor laughed, making his whole body tremble.

"Hey Dad?"

"What is it, my boy?"

"How can a human ever be King of dragons?"

Dagor huffed. "It is complicated. I will eventually explain everything, though."

"Heh, you know I always hated the word 'eventually'. To me, it was always a fancy way to say 'never'."

"Perhaps when humans say it. However, a dragon never goes back on his word. I will tell you when the time is right."

"And when will that be?"

"Sooner than you think, son. Sooner than you think."

They flew the rest of the way in silence. Nikolias rested after yet another rigorous training session with his father and Dagor flew while deep in thought. Nikolias thought while he rested, too. He thought about how far he had come in the past five years. When Dagor first told him that he was going to train him, he became very confused. After all, how was a dragon going to teach a human how to fight? His question was quickly answered, though, when Dagor breathed a mist of shadow on him and instructed him to inhale. He begrudgingly did as he was told and was thankful that it didn't smell like dragon breath. He fully inhaled the shadows and from that day forth, he was able to use shadow techniques. Dagor told him it would take some time to master this newfound power, but he practiced whenever he could and quickly picked up the tricks and became very skilled. He smiled at the memories of the past years training with Dagor. He was thrilled with how supportive Dagor was and he also loved the constant praise that he got for improving.

Eventually, they came across their home in the mountains. Nikolias woke up, having smelled the air of his homeland. He had found that by inhaling those shadows, his senses increased dramatically. He could hear things from far away, he could detect the faintest smells and determine what they were, he could see things that stood a great distance from him, he could sense the presence of things before they came too close, and things even tasted better.

They flew over a field where Dagor could land and Nikolias could see countless dragons lying in the field napping with humans sparring and hanging about. All of the humans that lived among the dragons were Nikolias' age, so getting along with them wasn't too difficult, especially since all of the kids were orphans.

"We are home, Nikolias," Dagor said as he lowered himself to the ground.

"Yup, I can see that."

"Do not be brat."

"I would never."

Dagor chuckled, but said nothing.

Nikolias hopped down to the field before Dagor fully landed and stretched his muscles. "Man, I could go for a nap right now."

"It is only midday. Do not tell me you are tired."

"Nah, I just feel like being lazy."

"That is not an option. Go and speak with the others. I have business to take care of." With that Dagor flew back into the sky and towards the Grand Hall of Dragons where he ruled.

Nikolias watched him fly off and sighed. "Man, why can't I ever rest?"

"Yo, Nikolias!"

Nikolias turned to see a small group approach him.

"Grego, Alec, Chloe. How you guys doing?"

Alec was a tall, well built boy with very short, light brown hair and gray eyes. However, he was quite the punk at times and he was the kind of guy who was always looking for a fight whenever he could. He truly believed he was the best ever. He was orphaned at the age of six after his parents were killed in a car accident. At the age of nine, he was found and raised by Ignais the Fire Dragon.

Grego was a bit shorter than Nikolias, standing at 5 foot 11 inches. He had short and thick dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was a very kind and understanding person and was probably the smartest of the dragon children. He was orphaned at the age of three when his parents died in a fire. However, no one was able or willing to take him in and he surely would have died if he hadn't been found by Weisslo the Light Dragon.

Chloe was shorter than all three of the boys, standing at 5 foot 6 inches. She had shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes. She was very shy and kind and she was always sticking around Nikolias. Of course, he didn't mind. He thought she was pretty cute and it's not like she was clingy or unable to take care of herself. She was strong for her size even though she was more adept at healing than fighting. She was orphaned at the age of four when her parents decided they didn't want a child anymore. It was because of this that she had trust issues growing up. And it was because of Grandeeyus that she felt any sort of attachment again. When Grandeeyus found her, Chloe was close to death and she nursed her back to health. She became a mother to Chloe and that allowed her to open up again. She was always nervous around the others until the age of eight when Nikolias showed up. After that, she stuck close to him and started getting close to the others through him.

Alec gave him a thumbs up. "Doin' good! I'm getting closer to passing you, buddy."

Nikolias raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"He has gotten better," Grego said with a nod. "However, I don't think he's remotely close to you. I mean, you are being trained by the King."

"Shut it, Grego!" Alec shouted. "It's not about the dragon trainer, it's all about the trainee."

Grego laughed. "That statement hurts your case, Alec."

Alec thought it over. "How?"

"If it is actually the trainee and not the trainer and Nikolias is still ahead of you, then that means he's better than you."

Alec thought about his words and realized what he was saying. "Th…That's not what I meant!" he stammered. "I meant that I have more heart!"

"Then why not just say that?" Grego asked.

Nikolias laughed at the argument and turned to face Chloe. "And how are you doing, Chloe? Getting any stronger?"

Chloe blushed and looked down at the ground. "Y…Yes, I think I'm getting stronger. At least, Grandeeyus says I am."

"That's great!" Nikolias exclaimed with a big grin.

Alec stared at Chloe. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"What do you mean 'what do I mean'? You aren't looking at Nikolias and you're blushing."

She blushed even more. "I…I am not blushing!"

"You're blushing even more!" Alec laughed.

"Alright Alec, leave her alone," Grego said calmly.

Nikolias sighed. Even though he was good friends with all of the people here, Alec, Grego, and Chloe were his best friends. However, sometimes Alec went a bit too far with his teasing and Nikolias could see that now was one of those times. Chloe definitely seemed uncomfortable and embarrassed. He wasn't sure why, but he knew it was because of Alec's big mouth. "Alright, alright. I don't have the energy to deal with you today, Alec, so just knock it off."

Alec turned his attention back to Nikolias and smirked. "Heh, make me."

"Oh come on, I just got back from Dagor's training. I seriously don't have the energy right now."

"That's coward talk."

Nikolias gave him a deadpanned look. "Fine, I'll make you."

"Good! Now I can show you up using the moves Ignais taught me!" Alec leapt back a few steps and allowed fire to swirl around his body. "Bring it on, Nikolias!"

"Oh for the love of God," Grego sighed as he smacked his forehead. "I swear, all Fire Dragons are so hot headed. Sorry about this, Nikolias."

"No need for apology," Nikolias said with a smile as intense shadows danced around his body. "I'll take him down with minimum energy."

"G…Good luck, Nikolias," Chloe said.

He shot her a big grin. "Thanks Chloe! I'll win this for sure, so no worries." He turned to face Alec, completely missing the blush on Chloe's face.

"Alright, begin!" Grego called out.

Alec was the first to charge. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Flames engulfed his fists as he made to attack Nikolias. As soon as he was in range, he fired his fist at high speed right at Nikolias' chest.

Nikolias waited until the last possible moment before ducking the fist and countering. "SHADOW DRAGON FIERCE KICK!" Shadows enveloped Nikolias' foot as he sent it right at Alec. Alec moved his arm and blocked the kick, but it still had enough force to send him into the air—and that was what Nikolias was looking for. As soon as Alec was airborne, Nikolias quickly planted his foot back on the ground and shot out multiple shadow tendrils from his arm right at Alec. "SHADOW WHIP!" The shadow tendrils wrapped themselves tightly around Alec, preventing him from using his arms. He pulled down on the Whip and sent Alec towards the ground with force.

"Damn it, no fair!" Alec cried as he collided with the hard ground. "Let me go and fight me like a man!"

"I did fight you like a man," Nikolias said with a smile. "And I won."

Chloe clapped her hands together. "Good job, Nikolias!"

He gave her a wink. "Told ya I'd win." He turned to Alec. "Do you yield?"

Alec groaned. "Fine, I yield this time. Next time you won't be so lucky, though."

Nikolias laughed as he released his Shadow Whip. "I guess we'll have to wait and see until next time."

"Nikolias!"

Nikolias turned to see his father's closest advisor, Sheek the Ice Dragon, and her child Kate walking over to him. "Hey Kate. Good afternoon, Sheek." Sheek bowed her head and Kate waved. "What can I do for you guys?"

"Your father wishes to see you," Sheek said.

"Really? He just saw me ten minutes ago. What could have happened in that small amount of time?"

"I am not aware of the details. All that I am aware of is that he told me to bring you to the Grand Hall of Dragons," Sheek explained.

"Well I guess I'll go then, even if I am really confused." He turned to wave at Alec, Grego, and Chloe. "See ya later guys!" He jumped onto Sheek's back and sat behind Kate. Sheek then spread her wings and took to the skies.

"Hi there, Nikolias," Kate said. Kate was Nikolias' age and height with shoulder length blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was considered one of the more attractive of the dragon children. She was also by far the most energetic and fun loving of the children.

"Hello Kate."

"You look beat. Another tough training day?"

"Heh, aren't they always tough?"

"I guess, but you look more tired than usual."

"I had to fight Alec right after getting back. I really didn't want to, but someone has to shut him up on occasion."

Kate giggled. "I suppose you're right. He is pretty cocky."

"That he is."

The two continued to make small talk for the next five minutes until Sheek landed in front of the Grand Hall of Dragons. It was a magnificent structure built into the mountain side and was actually made from the mountain itself. It was extremely tall and wide so that dragons could move about with ease. If anything, it was a glorified cave, but it was still impressive when one considered that dragons used their fire, claws, and tails to build and shape it.

Nikolias hopped off of Sheek's back and gave a wave. "Thanks for the lift, Sheek. I'll see you both later."

Both nodded before Sheek took to the air again and flew off.

Nikolias waved goodbye before turning around and heading inside. He walked through the massive, torch-lit halls before arriving at the Main Room where his father ruled. He threw open the massive wooden doors and walked inside. Sunlight poured in from a massive hole in the ceiling, illuminating the entire room.

Dagor sat on his hind haunches at the back of the room and smiled. "Good to see you, my boy. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Your welcome, but seriously Dad, you just saw me. What could have possibly happened?"

Dagor huffed. "I had some time to think on our way home and more time to think on my way here. I believe you are ready."

"Ready? For what?"

"Hop onto my back and I will show you."

Nikolias shrugged and did as he was told. "So where we going?"

"Out onto the training field."

"Oh come on, not more training," he groaned.

"No, not training. A place to discuss things."

Nikolias felt really confused now. "Oooookaaaaaaay."

Dagor spread his wings and leapt through the hole in the ceiling. Once clear, he started flapping his wings and flying off to the training field.

The entire way there, Nikolias tried to figure out what this could be about. _'If this is political or something, why couldn't we just do it in his chambers? If this isn't training, then why are we going to the training field? Gah, what the hell could this be?'_

Dagor landed on the training field several minutes later and Nikolias hopped off, stretched, and faced his father. "Alright Dad, what's this about?"

Dagor lowered his head. "This is about two things, my boy. I will discuss the most important one first."

"Shoot."

"I have already given you the power of Shadow years ago and your mastery of the techniques has been most impressive."

"Thank you."

"Also, I feel quite close to you, as if you truly were my son."

Nikolias raised an eyebrow. He didn't see how the two related. "Umm…well I feel close to you, too. I mean, you're the first father figure I've had—or at least remember. We're family, right?"

"Yes, my son, we are family. That is why I believe that you are deserving of and prepared for the true power of a dragon."

"Huh?"

"You asked me how a human could be King of dragons. I am about to answer that."

"Awesome!"

"You see, when a dragon and human form a close, unbreakable bond of friendship and that bond hits its peak, the dragon may choose to perform a ritual with the human. This ritual is called Dragon Spirit and it is the ultimate bond between man and beast."

"Dragon Spirit? What is that?"

"A dragon and human give pieces of their essence to the other."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, it is a high honor."

"So what exactly happens to me and you if we give pieces of our souls away to the other?"

"For dragons, we obtain higher emotions. We are able to feel more than just pride, anger, and joy. For humans, however, they obtain the power of dragons."

"Part of me feels like that's not an even trade."

Dagor laughed. "We dragons feel it is. After all, we are the ones who decide to make this bond."

"Well if you're sure. So what is this true power of the dragon and how would it help a human be king?"

"The power you obtain will be my power. You would be able to use the same techniques that I can use and, with time, you may find new techniques that you can use."

"Okay that's pretty kick ass, but how will this help me, a human, be King?"

Dagor grinned. "With this ritual, you will have the ability to completely or partially transform into a dragon at will."

Nikolias froze at this comment. He didn't know what to say. "I…I would _become_ a _dragon_?"

"Yes, my son, and that is how you would rule."

"Are there others who go through this ritual?"

"In time, all of your friends will go through this ritual. However, at their current levels, they would not be able to survive the ritual."

"What do you mean?"

"Although their bonds with their parent dragons are at their peak, their control of their power is not where it needs to be. They will most likely reach the needed level within the next couple of years. Currently, our bond is at its peak and your ability is extremely high."

"So…I'm taking it this ritual is gonna hurt?"

"It will."

"Fantastic. Well, anything worth doing has risks." Nikolias pumped his fist. "Let's do it, Dad!"

"Excellent!" Dagor pulled his head back. "Then when you are ready, close your eyes and imagine yourself fusing with incredible power."

Nikolias nodded and closed his eyes. He forced himself to think about what it would be like to have Dagor's power. He saw himself flying through the air. He saw himself blasting away enemies with ease. He saw himself standing proudly as Dagor's successor.

And then the pain came.

It was like nothing Nikolias had ever felt before. Searing pain ripped through every organ, every muscle, every tissue, every nerve, every cell. He felt like he was being torn apart by wild and hungry beasts. The pain was unbearable and yet he couldn't scream. He couldn't even move. He had no choice but to stand where he was and endure. Minutes turned into hours, hours into days, days into months, and months into years. The pain remained.

_'It won't end! This won't end! Holy crap, I feel like I'm disappearing into nothingness!'_

And then, it was over.

Nikolias' eyes shot open and he gasped for breath as he fell to the ground. Sweat clung to his body. He coughed as he tried to take in as much oxygen as he could.

"How do you feel, Nikolias?"

Nikolias slowly looked up at Dagor. "Fantastic," he rasped. "How long was that ritual?"

"A few seconds."

_'A few seconds? No way. That was actually a lifetime.'_

"You are surprised?"

"Well yeah. That pain felt like it would never end."

"But now it is over and you survived. You are now a Half-Dragon."

He continued to pant. "Awesome."

"Can you stand?"

Nikolias fought against his screaming muscles, but managed to stand on his feet.

"Excellent. Tomorrow, after you have rested, I will train you in your transformations."

"More training? Will it be just as tough?"

"On the contrary. If anything, training will be easier for you. It will feel natural and it will feel like you have been doing it your whole life, like breathing and walking."

"Okay, that's pretty helpful." He wiped away the sweat the clung to his brow. "By the way, what was the other thing?"

"Hmm? Ah yes, the other matter." Dagor lowered his head again. "If you are to rule, you should decide on a few things."

"Like?"

"Your Advisor, your General, your Diplomat, and your Queen. That's a good start."

"My queen?"

"Yes, you will choose someone to rule by your side."

"So I have to get married?"

Dagor released a massive laugh. "Heavens no! Unless you desire to wed, marriage is not necessary when choosing someone to rule with."

"That makes no sense to me. Kings and Queens are married, aren't they?"

"In human culture, yes. However, with dragons, we don't force marriage."

"Why not?"

"Dragons mate for life once they find the one that they wish to be with for the rest of their life. We know we have found that someone when we find ourselves attracted to their scent. Unless we find that someone, we don't wed."

"Huh. Well that's interesting."

"Nikolias, if you wish to wed you may."

"Well, I'm only 13, so I'll think about it. However, I won't be ruling any time soon, so there's no need to worry about marriage now. When should I decide on who should fill those four roles you mentioned?"

"As soon as possible."

"So now?"

"That would be preferred."

Nikolias thought. "Let's see. Advisor's should be wise, so I choose Grego for that role. He's the smartest guy I know."

"Ah, Weisslo of the Light's son. A wise choice."

"For my General, I would choose Alec for that one. He's overconfident now, but I believe in his ability and I think when the time comes, he'll have the mind for military tactics."

"Ignais of the Fire's son. Another intelligent decision."

"For my Diplomat, I should choose someone who sees both war and peace as possibilities so that the proper negotiations can take place. I guess I would choose Kate for that one."

"Sheek of the Ice's daughter. I see the logic in that decision as well. Now what about a Queen?"

"That's easy. I pick Chloe."

"Grandeeyus of the Wind's daughter? That is an interesting choice that I certainly did not see coming. Do you have your reasons?'

Nikolias blushed. "Of course I do. Don't worry, I thought everything through."

"Well I must say that you are thinking like a King already. I am most impressed."

"Thanks Dad."

"You should inform your choices of the roles expected of them."

"So you want me to tell them all that I've drafted them?"

"I would not use those words when telling them, but yes."

Nikolias scratched his cheek and blushed. "So I have to tell Chloe that I'd like her to be my Queen?"

"Yes. How else will she know? Give her time to prepare."

"Fine, I'll do it. Is that all you wanted to discuss."

"Yes. We will head back and you can explain things to your friends."

"Alright." Nikolias made to leap onto Dagor's back, but overshot it by a mile. "Whoa! What they hell?"

Dagor laughed. "I suppose I forgot to mention that your overall strength has increased. Certain actions require less force. Keep that in mind."

"Thanks for the warning," Nikolias grumbled. He made a small leap and landed easily on Dagor's back.

"Good. You adjusted quickly."

"I guess my brain got a boost too, huh?"

"It is possible." Dagor lifted himself into the air and flew off towards home.

Nikolias spent the time looking at his hand. He still couldn't believe that he was this Half-Dragon. He couldn't wait to see what he looked like and how much stronger he really was.

When they were almost home, Dagor spoke. "Nikolias, a word of warning. Do not spar with your friends until they, too, go through the Dragon Spirit. You may accidentally kill them."

"Noted. Thanks for telling me that part. I'd never forgive myself if I seriously injured any of them."

"It is good to know how much you care about your companions."

"I love 'em all."

Dagor landed in the field where the dragons and humans still were. Nikolias made a small leap down and landed gracefully on his feet. _'I gotta say, so far this Half-Dragon stuff is pretty nifty.'_

"Nikolias, I will see you later," Dagor said as he took to the skies.

"Yeah see you, Dad." He waved goodbye and headed over to his friends. "Hey Grego, Alec, Chloe. Miss me?"

Alec grumbled his hello while Grego and Chloe smiled.

"Of course. It's been a whole twenty minutes," Grego said.

"That's a long time to some," Nikolias said with a laugh. "By the way, have you guys seen Kate?"

"Yeah, she's over there with Sheek." Grego pointed to where Kate was talking with her mother. "Why?"

"I'll explain in a minute. HEY KATE!" Nikolias called out to her. She turned and waved and Nikolias motioned for her to join him. She nodded and skipped over.

"What's going on, Nikolias?" Chloe asked.

"In a minute," he replied.

"Hey guys! Nikolias, did you need to speak with me?"

"Yeah, I actually need to speak with all of you, so do you mind following me to a place that's more private?"

They all looked at each other but nodded, curiosity driving them forward. They followed Nikolias away from the group and into a small forest.

"Alright, what's this about?" Alec stated.

Nikolias turned to face his four friends. "Alright, this may be weird, but Dagor has told me to start making decisions about who will serve certain roles when I eventually take over for him."

"Really? So soon?" Grego asked.

"Apparently. You four were the first ones I thought of for the roles he told me to decide upon."

"Wow, really? That's so nice!" Kate said excitedly. "So what am I?"

Nikolias smiled at her. "Kate, if you accept it, I would like you to be my Diplomat."

Her face lit up. "Oh, that's so cool! I think I'd rock that job!"

"I thought so, too. So you'll accept?"

"Absolutely!"

"Thanks, Kate." He then turned to Alec. "Alec, if you accept it, I would like you to be my General."

Alec stared at him in shock. "Seriously? You want me to lead the armies?"

Nikolias nodded. "I think you're perfect for the job."

Alec smirked. "Hell yeah I am! I'll do it!"

"Thanks, Alec." He then turned to Grego. "Grego, you are the smartest guy I know. If you accept it, I would like you to be my Head Advisor."

"I'm honored, Nikolias. I will gladly accept that job."

"Hey, that's the job my mom does," Kate said. "You'll rock that job for sure, Grego!"

Grego nodded his thanks.

"Thanks, Grego. Now if you all don't mind I'd…" He paused as blush lightly painted his cheeks. "…I'd like to talk with Chloe alone, please."

Everyone nodded and walked away leaving a heavily blushing Chloe behind.

"Wh…What is it, Nikolias?"

Nikolias took a big breath and then took her hands in his, making her blush even more. "Chloe, of you accept it, I would like you to rule by my side as my Queen."

As soon as those words left his mouth, she fainted.

"Chloe! Crap, Chloe, are you alright?" he called out to her. He lowered her gently to the ground, shaking her lightly in an attempt to bring her back to consciousness. "I didn't mean to upset you. Please, wake up!"

Chloe's eyes began to flutter open. "N…Nikolias?"

"Oh thank God, you're awake. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Umm…Nikolias?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you want me to be your Queen?"

"Well, you're one of my best friends for starters."

"You're good friends with the other girls, too. Why me?"

"Because…you're always by my side and I've always thought you were cute and—"

He was interrupted by Chloe pulling down his head and meeting his lips with hers for a kiss. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but it was enough to make both of their faces red.

Finally, Chloe spoke up. "I'd be honored to be your Queen." There were tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face.

Still blushing, Nikolias smiled at her. "Thank you, Chloe. You have no idea how happy you've made me."


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

**Okay, please don't hate me, but Nikolias' past is officially going to be 3 parts. Sorry! It's just a lot of fun to write about and it keeps ending up longer than anticipated. But I swear it will only be 3 parts and then we'll be back to the Fairy Tail gang!****  
**

**Thanks for the understanding! Enjoy Nikolias' past Part 2!**

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 13**

**AGE 20**

"Ungrateful assholes," Nikolias grumbled as Chloe wiped off the last of the tomatoes from his clothes.

"I can see things didn't go well," Grego said with a small smile. He was now much taller and his muscles were far more defined than they had been in the past. Ever since he went through the Dragon Spirit ritual with Weisslo at age 14, he had definitely gotten much stronger.

"Ya think?"

"What happened?" Chloe asked as she brushed off the tomato seeds and skin from her hands.

"As soon as I offered my help to move their goddamn furniture, they started pelting me with fruits and vegetables. Took a fucking potato to the head," Nikolias said as he rubbed the back of his head.

As part of an effort to develop better relations with the humans, Dagor ordered all Half-Dragons to offer assistance to the humans with hopes to improve the quality of life of the civilians. Unfortunately, most of the humans feared the Half-Dragons and did their best to keep them away.

"Aww, my poor guy," Chloe sympathized, giving him a peck on the cheek. Growing up paid off for Chloe. She had gone through the Dragon Spirit ritual when she was 15 and ever since, she had been drawing a lot of attention—male attention. Her body was perfectly shaped and toned and her clothes snuggly clung to her hourglass figure and her now D-cup breasts. Her straight hair was now down to her shoulder blades. She had grown a couple of inches, but she was still one of the shorter Half-Dragons. She was truly beautiful.

"Thanks, Chloe. Where would I be without you?"

Chloe smiled and giggled. "You'd be covered in food. Well, I have training with Grandeeyus soon. I'll see you later guys."

"See ya, Chloe," Nikolias said with a wave as she ran off. She had been working her ass off for the past five years to improve her skills. When she became a Half-Dragon, she had a lot of trouble adjusting. It took a whole year for her to figure out how to run and jump with her newfound power. Nikolias made sure to tell her how proud he was of her progress and abilities constantly because honestly, he was proud. Also, he wanted to make sure that she kept working hard.

"I have to say Nikolias, I never expected you two to have such a strong relationship," Grego said.

"Why's that?"

"I guess I just never thought you were interested in Chloe. At least, in that way."

Nikolias smiled. "Honestly, I didn't see it coming either."

"Really? Do tell."

Nikolias sat on the ground and leaned back on his arms. "When I decided to choose Chloe to be my Queen, I was 13 and not even considering romance. But when she kissed me after I asked her…I don't know, things changed. I saw her differently. I don't think either of us are thinking too far ahead, but I'm seriously considering marrying her soon."

"So you love her?"

Nikolias sighed. "It's human love for sure. Unfortunately it's not dragon love, if I'm correctly understanding what father has told me, but no one said that I couldn't fall in love this way either, so there's that."

"Well I'm happy for you guys. You two are actually a great match."

"Thanks," Nikolias said as he blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"So how long have you two been together anyway?"

"Since I asked her to be my Queen, so over seven years."

"Fantastic."

"You really are supportive, aren't you?"

"Well I am your best friend."

Nikolias leapt up to his feet and stretched. "Well I should get back to father. He'll want a report from today."

"Alright see you later then."

Nikolias nodded and allowed his wings and tail to emerge from his backside. He jumped into the air and flew off towards his father's chambers.

The fly over took a couple of minutes and as soon as he landed, he retracted his wings and his tail. He walked through the Grand Hall of Dragons to the back room where Dagor ruled. He flung open the doors and walked up to his father.

Dagor was currently in a meeting with Grandeeyus the Wind Dragon, Ignais the Fire Dragon, Metalico the Iron Dragon, and Sheek the Ice Dragon. He looked up to see his son walk in. "Ah Nikolias. Good to see you, my boy. What can I do for you?"

"Sorry father, I didn't realize you were in a meeting. I just wanted to give you my report from Shile."

"It is alright. Speak your mind. This is important information."

"Yes sir. Well, I went to Shile and saw people struggling with furniture. I walked over and kindly offered assistance, but they knew I was a Half-Dragon and they got scared. I was called 'monster' and 'creature' by a few people, but I think the potato to the skull hurt more than their words."

"Did you end up assisting them, Prince?" Metalico asked.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't even get close. They were clearly afraid and it was my belief that helping them without their consent would've only further hurt relations."

"I see. Well, this is disappointing for sure, but I am glad to see you thinking before you act. You truly are a King in the making," Dagor said.

"Thank you, father. I tried to act as you would."

"Well done. Now, if you do not mind, we would like privacy to finish our meeting."

He bowed. "Of course, father."

"I have training with Chloe soon, so I will join you, Nikolias," Grandeeyus said as she rose from her seated position.

"I would appreciate the company, Grandeeyus. Thank you."

The two walked out of Dagor's chambers and into the wide halls.

"So have you seen Chloe at all today?" Grandeeyus asked.

"Yeah, she was kind enough to clean me up after the attack of the fruit."

Grandeeyus snickered. "She is a sweet girl."

"Yeah, I love her."

Grandeeyus stopped in her tracks. "Really?"

Nikolias then realized his slip and blushed a deep red. "Well I mean…yeah. I love her."

"Is this human love or dragon love?"

"Human love, but that doesn't mean it's not strong."

"I understand that and I am truly happy. My Chloe is a lucky girl."

"Trust me, I'm the lucky one."

The two exited the Grand Hall of Dragons and Nikolias hopped onto Grandeeyus' back. "What are you doing, Nikolias?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to watch Chloe train. I'd love to see the techniques she's learning that have made her so strong."

Grandeeyus bowed her head. "As you wish." She spread her wings and took to the skies. "However, if Chloe becomes distracted, I will ask you to leave. I need her focused today."

"I understand and accept your terms."

After a few minutes, the two arrived at Grandeeyus' training field where they saw Chloe waiting. As soon as Chloe saw Nikolias, the smile she already had widened and she ran over to him.

"Nikolias!" she shouted as she threw herself into his arms. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I wanted to see you train, if that's alright."

"Of course it is!"

"Great, but no getting distracted alright? Otherwise, I have to leave. Grandeeyus' orders."

"I swear I'll focus."

He winked at her. "Good luck then."

She giggled. "Oh please, you're not that irresistible."

"Hey, that hurt."

She pulled him in for another kiss. He felt her tongue poking at his lips for entrance and he obliged, letting her tongue explore his mouth.

"Alright you two. Enough for now. Chloe, it is time to train."

Chloe moaned and reluctantly pulled away. "Yes, mother."

"Grandeeyus, when have you ever been a party pooper?"

"Nikolias, I told you that you could watch as long as Chloe was not distracted."

He threw his hands in the air. "Alright, I'll step back. Good luck, Chloe."

"Thanks," she said as she ran over to Grandeeyus.

For the next two hours, Nikolias watched Chloe train with Grandeeyus and marveled at the transformation he saw. And he didn't just mean the literal Half-Dragon transformations (even though he was astounded by how beautiful she looked in her dragon forms); he meant the transformation in character brought on by this training. Nikolias got to see first-hand what made Chloe go from a shy little girl who was only ever adept at healing to this confident young woman who clearly had a lot of spirit and fighting ability. He was blown away as he watched her maneuvers and techniques. For the entire two hours, he sat in silence with a big smile on his face, completely entranced by Chloe, his future Queen. Her movements were swift, deliberate, graceful, and forceful. He was impressed.

"Enough, Chloe. You have done well today. You have the rest of the day off," Grandeeyus said.

Chloe panted and smiled up at her mother. "Thanks, mother." Grandeeyus flew off and Chloe walked over to where Nikolias was sitting and smiling at her. "So how was I?"

"I can't believe how much stronger you're getting," Nikolias said as he looked up at her.

Chloe blushed. "Thanks, Nikolias." The next thing she knew, Nikolias was pulling on her arm until she was lying on top of him, her blush deepening. "What are you doing?"

He reached up and stroked her cheek. "Nothing."

She raised her eyebrow at him and smiled. "Really? It doesn't look like nothing."

He shrugged. "Appearances can be deceiving, you know."

She giggled and leaned down, capturing his lips. "You know, you are the cutest thing."

He gave her a big grin. "I try my best!"

"How did I get to be so lucky?"

"You aren't the lucky one." He sat up, positioned Chloe on his lap, and leaned forward to kiss her again.

"Hey love birds!"

Chloe and Nikolias turned their heads to the side and saw Kate waving excitedly with Alec, Grego, and Baron walking behind her.

Baron was Metalico the Iron Dragon's son. Like Nikolias, he was orphaned before he turned one and had to be taken care of by a foster facility. However, he never grew attached to anyone while he was there. At the age of six, he left the foster facility and went wandering where he was found by Metalico. Although he bonded with Metalico and performed the Dragon Spirit ritual at 14 and was friends with all of the dragon children, he was a man of few words and rarely spoke.

_'Cock-blocked,'_ Nikolias thought as he groaned. "Hey guys. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Sorry, did we ruin your romantic moment?" Kate asked with a wink.

Chloe stood up with a light blush staining her face. "It's alright."

"Speak for yourself," Nikolias mumbled. "So seriously, why are you out here?"

"How friendly," Alec said with a smirk. "Were you two about to get it on?"

"I will pound you," Nikolias threatened.

"We apologize for interrupting you two, but we were asked to inform you of a meeting at the Grand Hall of Dragons tomorrow," Grego said. "It's at 10 AM. Dagor says he has an assignment for the Half-Dragons."

"Assignment?"

"Yeah, something about a request from the humans for assistance. He believes it's a great chance to improve the relationship."

"Huh, well alright then, we'll be there," Nikolias said. "Thanks for the heads up."

"I should go see what Grandeeyus can tell me about it and if I need special supplies," Chloe said as she leaned down and kissed Nikolias' forehead. "I'll see you guys later."

Nikolias watched her run off before shooting his friends a deadpanned look. "I don't think any of you understand how much I hate you."

"Hey, we apologized!" Kate exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

Nikolias sighed and stood. "Well it's late, so I'll head home." His wings shot out of his back and he jumped into the air. "Talk to you later, assholes."

"We apologized!" Kate called after him.

Nikolias flew home, sighing at the moment he almost had with Chloe. He knew he wasn't going to sleep at all tonight.

* * *

The next morning, Nikolias flew to the Grand Hall of Dragons, still tweaked about last night. Of course, that could be because he barely slept at all. _'Today is gonna be so much fun.'_ He landed and retracted his wings before entering the building. Aside from being interrupted last night, he also lost sleep trying to determine what kind of request would require aid from all 26 of the Half-Dragons. One Half-Dragon had incredible strength alone, so what could require the power of a 100,000 man army? He couldn't come up with a thing, which unfortunately would allow his mind to wander back to Chloe.

He walked through the doors to Dagor's chambers and saw that he was the last to arrive. He silently took his place beside Chloe and Grego and waited for Dagor to arrive.

Chloe nudged him in the arm. "Sorry that I took off last night. I got a bit embarrassed. Are you mad?"

"Not at you, so don't worry," he said with a tired smile.

"Oh. I don't want you mad at anyone, though."

"Too late."

She sighed. "Tell you what; when we get back from this assignment, why don't you come by my place and we can…spend the night together?"

Nikolias was suddenly awake and bright red. He turned to look at Chloe and saw that she, too, was bright red and looking at the floor. He smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "It's a date."

She looked at him, returned his smile, and took hold of his hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Moments later, an enormous gust of wind forced its way in from the ceiling. Nikolias shielded his face and looked up, barely making out the shape of three dragons. The dragons landed and the wind died down, allowing Nikolias to see that Dagor, Grandeeyus, and Sheek had arrived.

"Thank you all for arriving so promptly," Dagor began. "I have fantastic news for those who have not heard. The humans have given us the opportunity to show that we are not a threat. We have a chance to help them. Now, before I go into detail, I want to ensure that all are here." He turned to Sheek. "Perform roll call."

Sheek nodded and began. "Alec, son of Ignais the Fire Dragon."

"Present."

"Baron, son of Metalico the Iron Dragon."

"Present."

"Chloe, daughter of Grandeeyus the Wind Dragon."

"Present."

"Donner, son of Feyus the Clone Dragon."

"Present."

"Elena, daughter of Lefiathon the Wood Dragon."

"Present."

"Faye, daughter of Canas the Heart Dragon."

"Present."

"Grego, son of Weisslo the Light Dragon."

"Present."

"Henrietta, daughter of Serpaine the Water Dragon."

"Present."

"Izaaic, son of Clou the Weather Dragon."

"Present."

"Juliette, daughter of Ruvie the Crystal Dragon."

"Present."

"Kate, daughter of Sheek the Ice Dragon."

"Present!"

"Liza, daughter of Lurbek the Blitz Dragon."

"Present."

"Marie, daughter of Frish the Phantom Dragon."

"Present."

"Prince Nikolias, son of King Dagor the Shadow Dragon."

"Present." He sighed to himself. _'Was it really necessary to call me Prince?'_

"Orzack, son of Melbod the Lava Dragon."

"Present."

"Pamier, son of Bogr the Stone Dragon."

"Present."

"Quincy, son of Vibravo the Earth Dragon."

"Present."

"Rayzor, son of Portro the Blade Dragon."

"Present."

"Shane, son of Sash the Ash Dragon."

"Present."

"Tamie, daughter of Jayyis the Sound Dragon."

"Present."

"Umbra, daughter of Blenras the Camouflage Dragon."

"Present."

"Vexon, daughter of Hisstem the Poison Dragon."

"Present."

"Wix, daughter of Albyus the Psychic Dragon."

"Present."

"Xeva, daughter of Elya the Explosion Dragon."

"Present."

"Yor, son of Chaist the Vision Dragon."

"Present."

"Zephyr, son of Zyph the Lighting Dragon."

"Present."

Sheek turned to Dagor. "All Half-Dragons are present, my King."

Dagor nodded to her. "Thank you, Sheek. Now that I am aware that all are present, I shall continue. A scientist who calls himself Dr. Gorn has asked that all Half-Dragons be present in helping him move boxes of a new medicine he designed for humans. He believes this medicine will greatly increase the human life span and help with illness. This is a golden opportunity to show the humans that we are not a threat to them and that we look to aid them whenever we can. You shall all head to Shile Town immediately and locate this Gorn person. Once you do, perform the tasks asked of you. That is all. You are all dismissed."

"YES, KING DAGOR!" shouted all of the Half-Dragons. Everyone called out their wings and flew through the ceiling to head to Shile Town.

* * *

All of the Half-Dragons landed outside of Shile and retracted their wings to avoid causing unnecessary panic in town. They walked through the streets until they all arrived at a large building. Nikolias walked up to the door and knocked loudly.

A tall, black-haired, middle aged man wearing a white lab coat answered the door. For a scientist, he was oddly fit. "Ah, you must be the Half-Dragons! I am Dr. Gorn. Thank you so much for coming. The storage room is this way. Please, follow me."

"Yes sir," Nikolias said with a small bow as he followed Dr. Gorn into the building. All the other Half-Dragons followed behind.

"I realize that it's odd to ask for the help of all of you, but understand that there are a lot of boxes and I need to send out this medicine as soon as possible," Dr. Gorn said as he led them all down the halls.

Nikolias nodded, but was too lost in thought to verbally respond. _'Something isn't right. But what? What's this feeling I'm getting from this place?'_

Chloe lightly put her hand on Nikolias' shoulder and he turned to look at her. He saw a look of concern on her face. "Are you feeling okay?" she whispered.

He took her hand and smiled. "Yeah." He didn't want to worry her because he was feeling paranoid. Nevertheless, he needed to run things by someone. He turned back around and, while holding Chloe's hand, poked Grego's shoulder. He turned to face Nikolias with a questioning look. "Hey Grego, do you feel anything weird here?"

Grego shook his head. "No. Why? Do you feel something?"

Nikolias shook his head. "It's gotta be nothing if I'm the only one feeling it. I must be tired, that's all." Still, he couldn't shake this foreboding feeling he had.

"Here we are," Dr. Gorn said as he stopped in front of a door. He took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. "Please follow this hallway. At the end, there's another door that's unlocked and leads to the supply room. The light is on the far wall, so as soon as you open the door, just walk straight and you'll easily find the light switch."

Again, a wave of danger flowed through Nikolias' body. _'There it is again. Could it just be that I don't trust this guy? Or is there more to it? Why can't I figure this out?'_

Grego saw Nikolias wasn't paying attention so he quickly spoke on his behalf. "Thank you, Dr. Gorn."

Dr. Gorn bowed. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Just start bringing the boxes out here and begin piling them. Once that's done, I'll show you where to bring them from there. I'll join you as soon as I make a few important calls to buyers."

Grego bowed as Dr. Gorn walked off. "Alright everyone, let's get this done so we have something positive to report back to King Dagor."

Everyone nodded and followed Grego in; everyone except Nikolias.

Nikolias was too focused on his thoughts to even notice that everyone had left. _'Something is wrong. But what? Why do I feel this way?'_

"Nikolias?"

The soft voice snapped Nikolias from his mind. He looked up to see Chloe looking at him with concern. "Oh, sorry Chloe. I spaced out, I guess."

"Nikolias, talk to me. I know you and I know when something is bothering you. Tell me what's wrong."

He smiled at her. "You really are the greatest." He walked up to her and kissed her passionately. After breaking the kiss, he stroked her cheek. "I wish I could tell you what was bothering me, but I can't figure it out. Let's just do this job and get home. I'm sure that'll put me at ease."

Chloe gave a small smile. "Okay, let's do it then." She took his hand and dragged him along to catch up to the others. They caught up just as Grego opened the second door.

"Long hallway," Alec snorted. "Thought we'd never reach the end."

Grego turned the doorknob and pushed on the door. It creaked as it opened, revealing a pitch black room. Grego cautiously took a step forward and, once he found solid ground, started heading for the opposite wall where the light switch supposedly was. "Be careful, everyone. There's very little light in here, so it'll take time for our eyes to adjust."

Once everyone was in the room, Nikolias felt that foreboding feeling again. However, this time it was much stronger. _'What the hell is this?'_

And then he got his answer.

The door they had just walked through, swung closed and locked in place.

"What the hell?" Nikolias said as he pulled on the door knob. "It's locked!"

"What do you mean 'it's locked'?" Alec asked.

"I mean it won't open because the locking mechanism is active," Nikolias threw back at him.

"Nikolias, what's going on?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Panic was starting to take over his body as he continued to pull on the door. This was it. This was the foreboding feeling.

"What do we do?"

Nikolias released the door knob. "Grego! We could use some light."

"There's no switch! I can't find a switch! Goddamn it. Alright, everyone, close your eyes. LIGHT DRAGON BRILLIANT FLASH!"

Everyone closed their eyes, but no flash came.

"Grego, where's the flash?" Alec asked.

"I…I don't know. My power isn't working," he said, confusion and panic evident in his tone.

"Damn it!" Nikolias swore as he kicked at the door. He kicked and kicked, but he couldn't make any progress. "I can't get this door open!"

**"Hello in there! How do you all like my dragon-proof room?"**

"That voice…it's Dr. Gorn," Nikolias said as a growl escaped his throat. "I knew I couldn't trust that guy. Where are you?"

**"Oh I assure you that I'm safe in another room where I can see and talk to you. Thank you for being so concerned, oh great and powerful Prince."**

"What is this, Gorn? Why can't we get out?"

**"An excellent question. Do you mind if I tell you a story to answer your question?"**

"As long as the question is answered," Baron said calmly.

**"Oh goody, well then here we go! As a scientist and an all around philanthropist, I have sworn a sacred oath that I will find a way to improve the human quality of life. And I have! I have found a way to not only improve human health, but I have also found a way to eradicate the greatest threat to the human race; the Half-Dragons!"**

"So that's why you called us out here? Because you think you can kill us?" Alec growled.

**"Please don't interrupt. It's just rude. Now, shall I start from the beginning? You see, a couple of years ago, I was approached by a large group of concerned citizens. They asked me, as the only scientist in town, if I could find a way to exterminate the Half-Dragons. I, of course, obliged to their request. It took four years of trial and error before I developed the most perfect virus in the history of the world; the Red Eye virus. In humans, it acts as a steroid of sorts, enhancing bodily functions to help fight disease and injury, significantly improving muscle growth, and drastically increasing the lifespan. But wait, here's the best part! This same Red Eye virus is extremely lethal to dragons, literally destroying them from the inside out!"**

"That's sick!" Kate exclaimed.

"We're not a threat to humans!" Nikolias shouted at the voice.

**"Now, why don't I believe you? I think it's only a matter of time before you all mature and destroy the human race. No, I won't sit idly by and allow that to happen! So I coated this room in the thickest metal to prevent you from using your strength to escape and there is a faint frequency echoing through the room that is interfering with your ability to use your dragon techniques. Now, let the extermination commence!"**

Suddenly, small spikes shot out of the floor, impaling everyone's feet through their thin shoes.

"AHH, damn it!" Alec shouted. "What the fuck was that?"

Just as suddenly as the spikes appeared, they vanished.

**"Did you enjoy my little invention? I call it the Needle Floor. Each needle sent the Red Eye virus into your systems. I figured that it was the best way to inject you all with the Red Eye simultaneously. If I didn't, I could only infect one of you and that just wouldn't do. So I concocted a plan to lock you all in this room so that I could infect you all with the virus. And cue the pain! In 3…2…1…SHOWTIME!"**

And sure enough, the pain began.

Nikolias' body felt like it was breaking apart. He screamed in pain as blood shot out of his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. Tears in his skin started appearing as if he were being cut over and over by a sharp, invisible blade. With every new tear, blood would shoot out and his screams would intensify. The pain was too much and he soon collapsed on the ground.

He could hear all around him that his friends were experiencing the same pain, but he couldn't see them. He tried to call out to Chloe, to be there to comfort her through this, but he couldn't even manage the first syllable as blood was pooling in his mouth. He couldn't see anything, but he knew he was starting to black out.

_'This can't be happening. This pain…I've never felt anything like this before. Chloe…Chloe, where are you? Grego? Alec? Kate? Please, everyone be all right.'_ Tears in his skin kept appearing, but he was becoming numb to the pain and his screams were dying away. _'I feel so…cold. I…I can't feel…anything. Is this…the end?'_ Blood was flowing out of all of his wounds and was pooling on the ground beneath him. He coughed weakly, forcing the blood in his mouth to shoot out into the air. His breathing was staggered and was slowing down with every second. _'So this is…how I…die. This is…how…we die. Inside…a dark…room of a…fucked in the head…human.'_ His eyes were glazing over. His breathing was dangerously shallow. He couldn't hear anything anymore. He couldn't feel anything anymore.

And then he thought about his friends, his father, Chloe. _'No, this isn't the end. Fuck the pain. I will live.'_ His fingers twitched slightly and his teeth grit together. _'I'm gonna live through this. I'm gonna spend the night with Chloe. I'm gonna marry her. I'm gonna rule by her side. We'll be happy. I need to live through this so that I can be with her forever.'_ He let out an enormous roar, a roar that showed his pain, his sorrow, his anger, and his determination. _'I WILL LIVE!'_

And then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Nikolias opened his eyes slowly. He could barely see, darkness overwhelming his vision. He tried to move, but found it painful to even lift a finger. He forced himself to sit up and screamed as pain ripped through his entire body.

"Why did that hurt?"

He looked down at his hands and his eyes went wide. There was blood all over his hands, forearms, biceps…

It was then that he realized that he was sitting in a pool of his own blood. His eyes scanned the situation, fear beginning to take over. He was covered in blood, he was in immense pain, he was sitting in his own blood…what the hell happened to him?

He forced himself to his feet, nearly slipping multiple times from the blood-stained floor and from lack of strength. He tried to straighten up as much as he could, but the pain had him doubled-over constantly.

He wanted to get an idea of where he was so he tried to see through the darkness. His eyes were slowly adjusting and he began to see people lying around him.

"Hey, are you guys awake? Do you know what happened? Where are we? Why am I cov…" He stopped as his eyes fully adjusted and his eyes once again widened with fear.

All around him were corpses. All of them were lying in their own blood. All of them were staring at him with lifeless eyes.

"No…no…no, no, no, NO!" he cried, tears washing away the blood and staining his cheeks before falling to the floor. He felt sorrow take over the fear as he took in the sight before him. "How could this happen? I don't…I don't understand! Why are you…why are you all dead? What happened to you?" The tears were falling faster and faster.

And then he remembered what happened. Getting trapped in this room by Gorn, being injected with the virus, the immense pain; all of it came rushing back to him.

He looked over and saw Grego, Alec, Kate, Baron, everyone lying dead at his feet.

"Why? Why was I the only one who lived?" And then his heart sank even lower. "Chloe…CHLOE!" He attempted to run to her but fell from lack of strength. He needed to get to her, so he started dragging his body along the bloody floor and around the bodies of his dear friends. He cried in pain with each movement, but he was determined to reach her.

It took what felt like an eternity, but he eventually reached Chloe's body. Dried tears were stuck to her face, her lifeless eyes looking to where Nikolias had once been. Nikolias' eyes filled with tears and his body began to tremble as he slowly lifted Chloe's lifeless and bloody body into his arms.

"Chloe," he whispered. "Chloe, please wake up." He slowly began rocking her in his arms as his tears hit her face. "I never got to tell you how much I loved you. Please wake up and smile at me with that beautiful smile."

He got no response.

"I wanted to ask you something." His throat was beginning to tighten as sorrow was consuming him. "I was going to ask you tonight. Chloe, I wanted to marry you. I was going to ask you to marry me. I love you, Chloe. I will always love you." And then the tears became uncontrollable. He held her body close to him and wept for what felt like hours.

Once the tears stopped, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her cold lips for the last time. He gently placed her back on the ground and stood. He had gained more strength in his legs, so he could stand, albeit wobbly. He looked around at all of his friends. "Everyone…I'm so sorry. I couldn't help you. I should have died along side you. Please forgive me."

Suddenly, rage began to overtake the sorrow.

"Why did you all have to die? We weren't a threat. We just wanted peace. Why? Why would the humans want us dead? Were they that afraid of us? And Gorn…I will find you and I will tear you apart." His body began to tremble with pure rage this time. "They want something to be afraid of? Fine. I'll give them something to fear in their last moments alive!"

And then everything went red.

Nikolias' irises turned bright red and glowed in the darkness of the room. A deep, murderous growl escaped his lips. And then he released a deafening roar that shook the entire building. "I'll kill them all. I'll kill them all! They're all guilty. Their cowardice led to this. I will make them pay for what they've done!" Shadows violently danced around his body and slammed against the walls and doors, cracking them before eventually breaking them down completely. He slowly walked out of the now open doorway, the shadows still swarming around him. His lips were curled back in a snarl, revealing his sharp dragon teeth. As he walked, he growled, waiting to find someone to destroy.

He eventually reached the front door and, with an angry cry, he destroyed the door with a ball of shadow, sending massive pieces of wood out in every direction. He walked through the hole he created and looked around. He could see multiple people in the area, looking on with terror.

"Gorn said he killed them all!" one man said.

"He lied?" a woman asked.

"Maybe he didn't know?" another woman offered.

"Don't be absurd!" the first man exclaimed.

Nikolias couldn't actually hear their words, for one thought was so loud in his head that he was deaf to the world; _'DIE!'_

Nikolias let out a massive, blood curdling roar and then suddenly disappeared into a pillar of shadows.

There was panic in the streets. "Run! He's going to kill us all! The Half-Dragon will kill us all!"

And then the pillar of shadow exploded, sending many helpless citizens into buildings and killing them upon impact. Where the pillar once stood was a shadowy mist that was quickly blown away by massive black wings. People ran even faster after seeing what now stood in their town.

Nikolias was now a massive black dragon. He let out a massive roar that shook the very ground and caused some people to collapse on the ground in pain while they covered their ears. He looked around the town, his red eyes glowing angrily.

_'I will make all of you pay for what you've done!'_

He stretched his head forward and released a jet of black flames down one street, burning alive all citizens in its path. He released the fire and allowed it to spread and set the town ablaze. He began to roam the streets, devouring anyone who he could reach, and destroying buildings with a simple swing of his tail. From time to time, he would release more black flames, lighting multiple homes on fire and allowing them to crumble.

The anger within Nikolias was steadily growing. _'None of them survived, so none of you will either!'_ He spread his wings, knocking over even more buildings, and leapt into the air, sending powerful gusts of wind down the streets and further spreading the fire. He flew higher and higher before disappearing into the clouds and stopping to hover. He glared down at the town of Shile through the haze. He roared once more before releasing black fireball after black fireball down upon the town at a rapid pace. Each fireball collided with the ground with incredible force, destroying buildings, shattering vendor stands, and disintegrating anyone in its path. Nikolias made sure that every inch of the town was in fire. Once he was satisfied with his destruction, he flew back down at high speed. As soon as he hit the ground, a massive wave of black fire crashed over the entire town, engulfing it in even more flames.

Nikolias stood among the death, destruction, and black fire. He let loose a massive roar of anger and victory. Convinced that all in the area had died, he flew off, searching for anyone who managed to escape. He scanned the area, looking everywhere for survivors, but saw no one.

And then the anger began to subside.

Suddenly overcome with fatigue, he fell to the ground and transformed back to his human form. He lay there for a few minutes, completely motionless, before he finally began to stir.

He groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, his hand immediately going to his aching head. "Ah, what the hell happened?" He could feel an intense heat on his skin and he looked up to see the town of Shile on fire. And then he remembered. "I did this," he whispered. "I have to get home. I have to tell father what happened here." He called out his wings and flew as fast as his tired body would allow him.

He eventually reached the Grand Hall of Dragons. He ran through the halls and threw open the doors to his father's chambers.

But it was empty. No one was around.

"What the hell? Where is everyone? Father! Grandeeyus! Ignais! ANYONE!"

But no one answered.

Nikolias collapsed to his knees. "They're gone. Where did they go?" he whispered. Sorrow once again took over.

His friends were dead. His love was dead. His father vanished.

He was alone again.

With nothing left for him, Nikolias rose to his feet and left the Grand Hall of Dragons, never to return.

And so he wandered the world with no purpose and no one to return to.

* * *

**AGE 347**

"Sir?"

Nikolias looked up at the young woman who stood over him. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but my father is hoping that you'll move somewhere else. He feels like you're scaring away potential customers."

Nikolias looked around the woman to see a stern looking man standing behind his clothes stand with his arms crossed, glaring daggers at him. He stood from his seat on the bench and brushed off his ratty and torn clothes. "My apologies. It was not my intent to harm your father's business. I will relocate."

The woman looked at him with concern. "Are you alright?"

He gave her a small smile. "Not at all." With that, he turned and continued his aimless walk.

It had been over 300 years since the dragons vanished, Nikolias' friends were murdered, and the town of Shile was burned to the ground by Nikolias' rage. Unfortunately for Nikolias, time was not healing the wounds. Each day, he would wake up, feeling like the horrors of that day had just happened yesterday. Almost every night, he would wake up in a sweat after reliving the entire scene. He spent his life wandering the world with no destination in mind and with no intention of settling down, moving from town to town and sleeping out in the wilderness. He couldn't see the point in staying anywhere.

While this time didn't heal him, it did give him the opportunity to think about what had happened to him.

Despite his heavy heart, Nikolias was still able to keep track of the years. He knew he was 347 years old. However, his overall physical appearance hadn't changed since that day. Other than a more muscular body and slightly longer hair, he still looked like he did when he was 20 years old. Nikolias recalled what Gorn said that day about the Red Eye virus; it enhances bodily functions to help fight disease and injury, it significantly improves muscle growth, and it drastically increases one's lifespan. That would explain why he had no scars from the virus' assault on his body and that would also explain why he looked no different. Being a Half-Dragon already greatly increased his lifespan, but by adding the Red Eye's effect to that, his lifespan had stretched even further and thus slowed his physical aging. At least, that was the theory he had decided upon.

He couldn't, however, figure out what came over him all those years ago. When he saw his friends dead, he remembered being incredibly sad, but then something happened. It was as if another side of him took over, a side of him that he didn't recognize. This side of him was pure rage fueled by the loss of those dear to him. Still, his memory of the whole thing was foggy. He remembered apologizing to his friends and then feeling a white hot anger rising in him and then his mind got fuzzy. He could remember bits and pieces of what happened when he was angry, which is how he knew he was responsible for Shile, but most of it was blocked from his mind. It was as if he wasn't actually himself when it happened and he was just watching the destruction through sleepy eyes. However, trying to think about what happened to him only further reminded him of what he lost, so he didn't put too much thought into it. The only consolation he had was that Gorn either died in his rampage or died of old age years ago.

What constantly pushed itself to the forefront of his thoughts was where Dagor and the other dragons went. He wasn't sure how long he was in Shile, but it still didn't explain where his father went. Why would he leave? Where would he go? He racked his brain for years, but never came up with a suitable answer that could possibly explain the sudden disappearance. He never gave up thinking about it, but he never made progress, either.

As he walked, he looked up at the sun. _'Father, where are you? Why did you leave? After everything that's happened, I need you now more than ever.'_

"Sir!"

Nikolias turned back around to see the young woman running up to him. "Do you need something else?"

She stopped in front of him, panting, and handed him a package. "Here."

"What's this?"

"New clothes. I felt bad forcing you to leave and you look like you could use some new clothes, so here."

"I appreciate the thought. Thank you." He took the package from her and gave her the best smile that he could manage.

She smiled back. "You're welcome!" She waved as she ran back to her father's shop.

He sighed as he looked at the package in his hand and decided he'd change once he was out of town. He gripped the package tightly as he made his way to the town border.

* * *

Nikolias, now in his new clothes, arrived in another town a day later. He looked around at the town, taking in the sights as best he could. It seemed like a very active place for such a small town. The streets were packed with people shopping, walking around and talking, eating, even kids playing games.

He noticed a sign that read Argon Town, so at least he knew where he was. "A very happening place, it seems," Nikolias whispered to himself as he pushed himself through the masses. He received a lot of unkind words, yet oddly, as soon as the people spoke, they immediately shut up and ducked away. "Odd." However, he decided not to think about it because frankly, he didn't care. He didn't care about anyone anymore. What was the point?

He found his way to the center of town and looked around. "Alright, which way to go to find the other exit?" he thought out loud. Suddenly, his attention was grabbed by loud talking to his right. He turned his head and saw a mass of people surrounding something. "What the hell are they doing?" And then the object of their attention pushed through the crowd.

It was a beautiful young woman. She was a little shorter than him, so approximately 5 feet 10 inches. She had long and slightly wavy brunette hair that reached halfway down her back. She wore a white dress that clung to her perfect figure and her fairly large breasts. A bright red ribbon was tied around her waist and she wore flat brown shoes that granted her mobility. She had light brown eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light and her smile was kind, comforting, captivating. Nikolias stared in disbelief at the sight before him. He couldn't comprehend the beauty of this woman.

He took a deep breath and that's when his nose picked up the scent of the woman. It was as if he was in a meadow with freshly blooming flowers surrounding him and a gentle breeze blowing pollen through the air. The scent relaxed him. It was as if all of his troubles had vanished. For the first time in over 300 years, he felt at peace. The scent was calling to him. It was begging him to come closer. And he was not about to disappoint it. As if in a trance, Nikolias walked towards the woman.

"Please everyone, I have shopping to do," the young woman said as she attempted to escape the crowd surrounding her.

"You heard the lady, give her space!" one of the men shouted. "She can help us later."

"Yes, I will help you all later. Come by my house in a few hours, okay?"

Everyone cheered and thanked her before dispersing.

She giggled before heading off to her errands—until she saw Nikolias walking towards her.

She couldn't believe her eyes. Here was a man she had never seen before walking closer to her, looking right at her, and she felt heat and excitement flow through her body. This man was incredibly handsome and extremely muscular. His strong arms and chest pushed against the tight white shirt he had on and his long, powerful legs were contained by black slacks. His hair was untidy and long, but it didn't hide his flawless, kind face and his hypnotic golden brown eyes. She felt her face flush as the man stepped closer and closer.

Nikolias stopped a few feet in front of the woman, her scent overpowering his senses. He smiled at the woman. "Hi there. My name is Nikolias. And yours?"

The woman looked into his eyes. "Michelle. I'm the local doctor here in town."

"Really? That's quite an important job. Anyway, I couldn't help but overhear that you had errands to run. Would you like some company?"

Michelle nodded. "I'd like that."

He smiled at her; the first honest and pain-free smile he had given anyone since Chloe. "Good. Then lead the way."

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Nikolias first met Michelle and since that day, they could barely be seen apart. Whenever Michelle had errands to run, Nikolias was always right by her side, helping her carry her bags. It was more than just being drawn to her scent; he enjoyed being around her, talking to her, hearing her laugh. She even gave him a haircut, which he definitely appreciated.

Nikolias was helping Michelle unpack her groceries when Michelle paused. "Nikolias?"

He stopped and looked at her. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Where do you go at night?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I…don't think I understand the question."

"Well during the day, you're usually with me, but then at night, you vanish. I was just wondering where you go."

"Outside the town."

She looked at him with surprise. "Where outside the town?"

"The woods."

"Why?"

"It's where I sleep."

"Why do you sleep in the woods?"

He chuckled. "Well, where else am I supposed to sleep? I don't have any money for a hotel."

She blushed. "Well you could…sleep here."

Nikolias smiled. "Really? Well, thank you. Your couch looks a lot more comfortable than the ground."

Her face blushed more. "You could sleep on the couch or…you could always sleep in the bed…with me."

Now it was Nikolias' turn to turn a deep shade of red. "You…you _want_ me to share a bed with you?"

She nodded slowly. "Ever since I saw you, I felt something. Even though I didn't know you, I wanted to be close to you."

"R…Really?"

"Mhm."

He smiled. "I did, too."

Her eyes filled with tears. "You did?"

He nodded. "Before I met you, I never stayed in a town for more than a couple of hours. I never felt like there was a point to settling down. I wandered this world aimlessly and then I met you. And everything changed. I felt happiness again and I felt the need to be with you."

She leapt at Nikolias, wrapped her arms around his head, and captured his lips with hers. He was taken aback, but then her scent hit his nose and he became lost in it. He gripped her slender waist with his strong hands and kissed her back with even more force. He poked at her bottom lip for entrance. She parted her lips and he shot his tongue into her mouth, exploring it and battling her tongue for dominance. She moaned into his mouth and the sound drove him crazy. In response to the moans, a growl escaped from his throat and he could feel her body shiver in his hands. The longer they kept at it, the more Nikolias could feel his dragon instincts starting to take over.

And then Nikolias pulled away. He looked at Michelle, the both of them panting from the passion. She locked eyes with him and he could see a questioning and slightly hurt look on her face. He smiled at her and stroked her cheek. "Michelle, I feel like I need to be honest with you about who I am. It's not fair to you for me to keep hiding it, especially since I feel the way I do about you."

She smiled at him. "You can tell me anything."

He took a deep breath. "I'm not entirely human. I'm a Half-Dragon." He braced himself for the look of fear in her eyes, the names, the panic. And yet, there was nothing. She looked at him, her smile unwavering, before she stepped towards him and took his hand. "Michelle?"

"I don't care. I don't care if you are part dragon. I know what kind of person you are. You're kind, understanding, caring, funny, and you make me feel safe. That's why I love you."

Nikolias' eyes widened. _'She…She loves me?'_ He couldn't believe how happy he felt when she said that. A wide grin appeared on his face. "You love me, huh? After just a few weeks?"

She looked away and puffed out her flushed cheeks. "Don't make fun of me."

He laughed. "I would never, especially since I love you, too."

Her eyes widened in surprise from his words before she shot him a sideways smile. "After just a few weeks?"

He thought back to Chloe. They were together for seven years before he started to consider making things serious with her. And now she was gone, before she even understood how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. He always regretted that and he didn't want that to happen again, especially since he was so sure about how he felt. He stroked Michelle's cheek. "That's dragon love for ya."

"Dragon love?"

"When dragons find the one that we wish to spend the rest of our lives with, we become attracted to the scent of that person. It apparently drives us crazy. I never experienced it until the second I saw you and picked up your scent. That's how I'm sure that it's dragon love, an affection that's even stronger than human love."

Her eyes shone as she looked at him. "You love me that much?"

"Absolutely."

She giggled. "Are we crazy for moving so fast?"

"I think it's crazy to go slow."

"I agree. By the way, why did you decide now was the time to tell me?"

He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Well I could feel my dragon instincts taking over while we were kissing, so before I did anything I would regret, I wanted you to understand what I am."

"So you didn't want to take advantage?"

"In a sense, yes. Basically, if I didn't stop, my dragon side would have taken things too far out of desire."

She gave him a mischievous grin. "Really?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What's with that look?"

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Who said that I wouldn't have enjoyed being ravaged by a sexy dragon?"

Never in a million years had he ever expected her to say that. He laughed to hide his intense blush. "You're full of surprises, Michelle."

"Oh, I'm the one who's full of surprises, dragon boy?"

"Touché." He then looked at her seriously. "Michelle?"

"Yes?"

"I wanna do this right. So how would you like to go out to dinner tonight?"

She smiled. "I'd love to."

* * *

For the next month, Nikolias and Michelle dated. He revealed everything to her, every little detail about his past. He told her how he grew up, how Dagor found and raised him, how he became a Half-Dragon, how he was expected to rule the dragons one day, how he dated Chloe and intended to marry her, how all of his friends were murdered and he somehow survived, how the infection turned him into a monster, how he destroyed the town he grew up with and everyone in it, how his father and all of the dragons vanished, and how he wandered the world for over 300 years until he found her. He told her everything and, despite his fears, she stayed by his side.

He slept in her bed, but other than the occasional kissing, he behaved himself. His dragon instincts were making it difficult, though. They were calling for him to take her as his mate. But he was determined to do this right. Michelle wasn't a dragon, so she deserved to be treated like a human.

So Nikolias came up with a plan that started with dinner.

"I really enjoyed that meal," Michelle said. She was dolled up for the night, wearing a light blue dress that came down to her knees and clung tightly to her figure with a white wrap around her shoulders. Her hair was loose and fell down her back in silky waves. She had lipstick and a little blush on, but for the most part, she didn't need makeup. She didn't have any perfume, though, since Nikolias kept telling her that her natural scent was intoxicating.

"I'm glad," Nikolias replied with a smile. He wore the same white shirt and black slacks, but they were clean since he had the opportunity to wash them. He felt like he wasn't as nicely dressed as Michelle, but he didn't have enough money for new clothes. He had gotten a job in a store, but all of his pay tended to go towards taking Michelle out to eat.

The couple walked the streets on their way back home, Michelle's arm wrapped around Nikolias' arm and her head resting on his shoulder. The brisk night air gave Michelle chills and she snuggled closer to Nikolias' warm body.

"Michelle!"

The couple stopped and turned to see three young men running towards her.

"Ah, good evening Darius, Samuel, Walter. How are you all?"

"We're well, Michelle," Darius said with a smile, which vanished as soon as he saw Michelle's arm clinging to Nikolias' arm. "And who is this?"

"Nikolias," he said with a smile and offered his free hand. All three men just glared at him, so he withdrew it.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Michelle spoke up.

"We saw you walking by and thought you might enjoy an evening about the town," Samuel spoke, his eyes never leaving Nikolias.

"That is a very kind offer, but as you can see, I'm busy tonight. My apologies. Thank you for thinking of me, though." She gave them all a sweet smile.

Walter stepped forward. "Michelle, do you mind if we ask you a medical question in private?"

"Of course." She turned to Nikolias and smiled. "I'll only be a minute."

He smiled and nodded, releasing Michelle from his arm and walking away from the conversation.

"So what is your question, Walter?"

He leaned in close. "Listen Michelle. You know that the entire town loves you. That's why we want to warn you about that Nikolias guy. None of us get a good vibe from him. He's dangerous, so you really should keep your distance."

She smiled sweetly. "Nikolias isn't dangerous. He's very kind. You should get to know him and I'm sure that you'd like him as much as I do."

"Michelle, please think about this," Darius begged. "This guy appears out of nowhere and attaches himself to you. He's only going to hurt you."

Her smile never left. "Oh, don't worry. I can take care of myself. Besides, Nikolias would never hurt me."

Walter spoke up again. "Michelle, we're not kidding around. If you keep hanging around that guy, you're going to be in serious trouble. We all believe that if you tell him to leave you alone then he'll leave this town and never return."

"I have no intention of saying anything of the kind to Nikolias. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to return to my date." She waved to them and walked back to where Nikolias was standing. However, she was surprised to see him standing there with his hands over his ears and making noises. She giggled and lightly tapped his shoulder. He turned to see her and smiled, removing his hands from his ears. "Nikolias, what were you doing?"

"I could hear your conversation because of my dragon hearing, so I wanted to give you privacy."

"You're so sweet." Then she got a bad feeling. "Wait, you heard? How much?"

His smile faded a bit. "Apparently, you should keep your distance from me. I'm dangerous."

She looked at the ground. "I don't believe them."

"I am a Half-Dragon, though. You don't think I'd eat you in the middle of the night?"

"You shouldn't joke about that," she whispered. "I love you with all my heart and nothing they say will change that." Suddenly, she felt Nikolias' arms wrap around her and his face buried in the crook of her neck.

"I love you with all my heart as well, but I don't want you to feel unsafe. If you ask it of me, I will stay away."

She hugged him tightly. "Don't pay attention to their words. Honestly, I think they're just jealous. They all have expressed interest in courting me. Nikolias, there is no one in this world I feel safer around than you, so please stay by my side."

"I will."

"Why are you so down on yourself?"

His grip tightened. "You know why."

She didn't respond. She just hugged him in silence. She wished that there was something that she could do to help him.

"I know what you're thinking," Nikolias finally spoke.

"What are you talking about?"

"You wish you could help me, right? Make me feel better?"

"Maybe…"

He chuckled warmly and pulled away from the hug. He grasped her hand and walked her home. "You know, you've already done so much for me."

"I have?"

He looked at her and smiled. "You've stayed by my side despite what I am and showed me that I could be happy. You showed me that it was possible to open up and love someone again. For over 300 years, I never thought any of that was possible for me."

She blushed. "I'm glad you're happy. I just wish I could do more."

He stopped walking, for they had arrived outside of Michelle's house. He turned to face her. "Maybe you can." And then he got down on one knee.

Michelle's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"Michelle, I love you with all of my heart. Before I met you, I thought I was destined to live alone, this cursed virus coursing through my veins to forever remind me that happiness is for others and not me. But you showed me how wrong I was. You showed me happiness, love, and a future and I don't plan on letting that escape me."

"Nikolias…" Tears began filling her eyes.

"Michelle Deyanora, will you marry me?"

Tears began pouring down her face as she tackled Nikolias to the ground. "Yes!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

**WARNING: There is a Lemon early in this chapter. If you do not wish to read it, you can skip over it. The beginning is fairly clear and the end is marked by a line break.**

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 14**

**AGE 348**

Michelle sat at the kitchen table, staring at the ring on her finger and smiling. It had been three months since the ceremony and she was still in disbelief that she had actually married someone as handsome and kind as Nikolias.

They had set the date for May 29, six months after Nikolias proposed. A lot of planning went into the wedding, but Nikolias helped her every step of the way. In fact, she found it adorable how into it he was. He enthusiastically helped with the flower arrangements, food, location, everything. The only thing that he left completely up to her was the guest list, which made sense since he didn't know anyone other than her and his boss and fellow employees. He also put every cent he had into the wedding. She tried to talk him out of that, but he wasn't budging. He said it was all going towards making the day perfect.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. White flowers were all around the church. A violinist played lovely music that echoed through the halls. The pews were lined with white bouquets with pale green ribbons tying them together. Michelle nearly melted as she walked down the aisle in her elegant white dress and saw the look of pure excitement and happiness on Nikolias' face as he stood at the altar in his stunning tuxedo. The guests all smiled at Michelle as she walked towards the altar, their respect for her the only thing keeping them from showing their distaste for Nikolias. They gave their vows and Michelle nearly cried at Nikolias'. Never before had she heard more beautiful and thoughtful words. They were even more romantic than his proposal.

Then came the wedding night, where the two made love for hours. Nikolias had some sort of god-like stamina that blew her mind. He had started off being extremely gentle with her, especially as he took her virginity. He caressed her cheek while he waited for her pain to subside. When she felt like the pain was gone, she gave him a nod and the rest of the night was filled with unbelievable pleasure. His powerful thrusts hit spots that she never knew could elicit such sensations. Orgasm after earth-shattering orgasm rocked her body all through the night, leaving her fatigued but satisfied once they had finished.

"Hey, I'm home," Nikolias called out.

Michelle snapped out of her trance and turned to smile at her returning husband. "Hey, welcome home. How was your day?"

"Eh, not bad. Still getting unfair wages, but at least I'm getting paid, right?"

"I still think you should let me talk to them."

"No, this is just something that can't be changed, so I'll make the best of it."

"Whatever you say."

"Don't give me that. You know how these people are. They dislike me and they don't hide it well."

She stood from her seat and walked over to Nikolias. She wrapped her arms around his head and kissed him. "Well I like you and that's all that matters."

He smiled back. "That's everything that matters." He then gave her a searing kiss that had her moaning from the passion. Without even having to ask for it, Nikolias felt Michelle's lips part and he took advantage, shooting his tongue into her mouth and began dancing with her tongue. He felt her grip the hair on his head and push to deepen the kiss. Nikolias could feel his dragon instincts taking over as her scent was filling his nostrils and consuming him with lust. He lifted Michelle up without breaking the kiss by holding onto her upper thighs and carried her to the bedroom with her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. With his dragon senses, he was able to navigate his way to the bedroom without bumping into anything. He gently placed Michelle on the bed, their lips still locked, and balanced himself on his forearms. He felt her fingers combing through his hair and tugging at it with each moan from her mouth.

They broke the kiss, both needing a break for air. They stared into each other's eyes while they panted. Nikolias could see that Michelle's eyes were clouded and filled with desire and he could only assume that his looked the same.

Michelle lifted a hand to Nikolias' cheek. "Nikolias, how do you feel about kids?"

He was a bit taken aback by her question, but answered it honestly nonetheless. "I've always wanted a family."

She smiled. "Then let's make a baby."

A huge grin appeared on his face before he once again captured her lips for a passionate kiss. He then made his way to kissing her jaw line and neck, gently nibbling at the flesh as he went. With each kiss and nibble, Michelle would moan, encouraging him to continue. He reached her collarbone and gave it a few kisses before Michelle broke away and stood up. He watched as she slowly undressed herself, pulling the zipper of her dress down and letting the garment gather at her feet. He followed the dress as it hit the floor before looking back up and taking in the sight before him; his beautiful Michelle naked before him.

He smirked at her. "No underwear?"

She got back on the bed and crawled over to him with a seductive smile as she began to unbutton his shirt. "Does it bother you?"

"Not at all," he chuckled as he felt his shirt torn away, exposing his bare and muscular torso.

Michelle began to rub her hands on his hard abs and pecs. "I'm glad." She then leaned forward and kissed him, pushing him back so that she was on top of him. Her hands slowly rubbed their way down until they reached his belt and, without breaking the kiss, she began to undo the buckle.

Nikolias chuckled into the kiss as he ran his hands up and down Michelle's smooth back. He could tell that Michelle was struggling with the belt, for frustrated grunts kept escaping her throat. He sat himself up, bringing her along with him, and broke the kiss. "You want me to do it?"

"I can do it. Don't rush me," she responded, her attention completely on the stubborn buckle. Eventually, she managed to unfasten it and whipped it off before turning her attention to his pants. Fortunately for her, his pants put up no fight and in a matter of seconds, Michelle had pulled down his pants and boxers, leaving Nikolias fully naked beside her.

He watched with a smile as her eyes took in every inch of him. He found it funny since they had slept together before—multiple times, in fact. Yet she looked at him like this was the first time she ever saw him naked. He leaned over, pushed her onto her back, and began kissing her lips. He began moving his way down her throat, kissing the flesh tenderly, until he reached the collarbone again. However, this time he wasn't stopped. He kissed her collarbone and continued moving south until he found himself in the valley of her breasts. He kissed the skin before lifting his head slightly and moving it over her left breast. He decided to tease her a bit by kissing the area around her stiff nipple. She whined in frustration, desperately wishing that he'd pay attention to the sensitive bud. He smirked as he continued his teasing before deciding that she'd had enough. He gently flicked her nipple with his tongue, causing her to moan in pleasure. He circled his tongue around the nipple, loving the sounds that Michelle was making, before he closed his mouth around her nipple, sucking on it and biting it gently. She let out a cry as she began to play with his hair. While he licked, sucked, and nibbled on her left breast, he moved his left hand up to her right breast, kneading the flesh and gently twisting the nipple. Michelle's entire body shivered from the sensation, both from his fingers and his tongue.

Suddenly, a scent hit Nikolias' nose. He sniffed the air and lifted his head, smiling down at Michelle. "Wet already? That was fast."

She blushed. "I can't help it."

He laughed as he moved back towards her legs. He gently stroked her creamy skin with his hand as he went, sending shivers throughout her body as he moved his hand down her breasts to her stomach and then up her thighs. He then proceeded to gently spread apart her legs, allowing him to see her wet pussy. He lowered his head down, lightly licking at her clit and causing her to cry out. He continued to lick at her clit, even sucking on it from time to time, and the sounds that Michelle was making was driving him crazy. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up the foreplay. As he licked her clit, he took his right hand and began to finger her opening. She cried out from the feeling, loving the fact that just one finger could give her so much pleasure. He kept up a steady pace with his finger while he continued to lick her clit with rougher and rougher strokes of his tongue. He could feel her body begin to shake beneath him and realized that she was close to her climax. He gently inserted a second finger and began to pump them faster and faster in and out of her pussy. She cried out and pushed down on his head, forcing him to put more pressure on her sensitive bundle of nerves with his tongue. After a few seconds of intensifying moaning, Michelle screamed, reaching orgasm and coating Nikolias' chin and fingers with her juices.

He pulled his fingers out of her dripping opening, lifted his head, and began to lick his fingers clean. Even the taste of her was intoxicating.

Michelle looked at him while she panted. "Amazing. Simply amazing."

He crawled over her and leaned down to kiss her. "We're not done yet."

She smiled up at him. "Show me what you've got."

He kissed her while he aligned his penis with her wet opening. He rubbed her folds and clit with the shaft, causing Michelle to cry out into his mouth, before slowly beginning to insert his member into her pussy. She moaned from the feeling as he slowly pushed himself deeper and deeper inside of her. Once he went as deep as he could, he began to pull out before pushing it back in. He kept up a steady and slow pace, not wanting to end things too quickly. He continued to kiss her passionately while he slowly moved his hips. However, her scent and the taste of her was driving him towards uncontrollable lust and soon, his thrusts began to increase in speed and power. He continued to kiss Michelle as he drilled in and out of her, allowing her to scream into his mouth. He continued to quicken his pace and before long, he felt Michelle's walls clamp down on his penis. She screamed into his mouth as her second orgasm hit her.

Nikolias broke the kiss and looked down at his wife, her face still showing pleasure. He smiled down at her and began to knead her left breast with his right hand, looking to further stimulate her. She whimpered as the combined sensations from Nikolias' fingers teasing her nipple and his powerful thrusting was overwhelming her once again, pushing her close to yet another release. She began rocking her hips, increasing the pleasure she was receiving as she met his thrusts.

"Nikolias, I…I'm gonna…AHHH!" she cried out as yet another orgasm rocked her body. She looked up at him with tired eyes. "Aren't you close yet?"

He smiled down at her as he continued his thrusts. "Tell you what; give me more warning next time and I'll try to come with you."

She smiled and nodded. Suddenly, she felt her legs rise into the air. She watched as Nikolias balanced her legs on his shoulders and then proceeded to thrust at an even faster pace. The new angle was allowing Nikolias to hit spots that he hadn't hit before. She felt like she was drowning in ecstasy as Nikolias continued to stimulate her breasts with his hands while he drove into her with incredible speed and power. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth for a silent scream. "Nikolias, I'm coming!"

He grunted his affirmation and sped up even more. Michelle cried out as she could feel her fourth climax approaching. Nikolias could feel her walls beginning to clamp down on his member and that was enough to coax an orgasm out of Nikolias. "I'm coming, too, Michelle."

Michelle's pants turned into short screams as the pleasure was too much. Her orgasm rocked her body, causing her entire frame to shudder.

As soon as Michelle came, Nikolias reached his breaking point, releasing his cum inside of her and filling her up. He moaned as he emptied everything into her, thrusting twice more to squeeze the rest of it out. He slowly pulled out of Michelle, releasing a small pop as he exited and causing her to moan in disappointment from the feeling of his absence.

He crawled over to Michelle's side and lay next to her. Both were panting heavily from their activity. He stroked her cheek. "Now _that_ was amazing."

She smiled and nodded, fatigue clearly taking over. "It was." She rolled onto her side and snuggled her face into Nikolias' chest.

He wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close as he began to drift into sleep.

* * *

Nikolias sighed as he made his way back home after a long day in the store. It was probably one of the worst days he had had since he was hired. A young couple walked into the store around noon and the fairly aggressive man accused Nikolias of eyeing his wife. No matter how many times Nikolias denied it (since, after all, he hadn't turned around from stocking shelves once until the man approached him), the man demanded to see the supervisor. At first, Nikolias thought that this was a good thing since the supervisor didn't show any signs of hating him. However, when threatened with poor business, even the supervisor turned on Nikolias and promised the angry, unreasonable man that Nikolias' pay would be docked as punishment.

"What a load of bullshit," Nikolias mumbled as he walked. "How the fuck can I look at someone when my back is to them? Now my low wages are even lower. Seriously, fuck these people." He shook his head violently, trying to get rid of all negative thoughts before he got home. He didn't want to upset Michelle by letting her know that these people, most of whom were her friends, were getting under his skin.

He could see the house from where he was and relief flowed through his body. If there was one thing that could get him through the day, it was being home with Michelle. He smiled at the thought of having her in his arms. As he got closer, a strange sight appeared before him. Michelle was in the yard, hanging laundry, with a small group of people beside her. However, unlike most of the small groups that flock to Michelle, these people didn't look happy. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He didn't like the way they were looking at her.

When he got a bit closer, he put on a smile, waved, and called out, "Hey, Michelle, I'm home!"

Michelle and the small group turned to see Nikolias walking closer. Michelle smiled and waved back while the rest of the group frowned. They turned to face Michelle once more and this time, Nikolias was close enough to pick up what was being said with his dragon-like hearing. "We pray that you'll see things our way and do what's best for the town." With that, they walked off.

Nikolias frowned at their retreating figures as he approached Michelle. "More of my huge fans? What did they want today?"

She sighed. "Don't worry about it. Just ignore it like I'm going to."

Nikolias was off put by this response. Michelle was always so cheerful. Whatever those fuckers were talking to her about really upset her. He pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Michelle."

She hugged him tightly. "It's not your fault."

He kissed the top of her head. _'Only it is my fault. If not for me, they would all still love you and you wouldn't be so upset.'_

She took his hand and began pulling him inside. "Come on, sweety. Let's get dressed and go out to eat."

He allowed her to drag him inside, but he still couldn't stop feeling guilty. "Sure thing, love. Sure thing."

* * *

A week had passed since those townspeople approached Michelle. However, things were far from back to normal. Michelle seemed sad all the time now. If he had to guess, the townspeople were still visiting her and bothering her, but they had timed their visits better so that he was still at work when they decided to be unwanted pests. The worst part was that Michelle wasn't talking to him about it. She was still pushing it off as if it were nothing. However, he knew that it was getting to her and he knew that she was keeping it to herself in an effort to protect him. He desperately tried to get her to open up about it, but she would just smile, tell him not to worry, and then would change the subject.

He had his suspicions about what they wanted. His guess was that the townspeople wanted Michelle to leave him. The main reason why he felt this way was because he had lied to Michelle on the night he proposed; no matter how hard he tried, his dragon-like hearing picked up the whole conversation between Michelle and the three young men. He heard them tell her to leave him because they sensed he was dangerous, but Michelle refused. He was sure that last week's incident was closely related, if not identical, to that night.

Today was going to be different, though. As Nikolias left work, he decided that he was going to be firm when he got home. He was going to make Michelle tell him exactly what was going on. He opened the door to their house.

"Hey, I'm home," Nikolias called out.

Silence was all he got in response.

"Are you not home?"

Again, no response.

"Odd, I don't remember her saying she was going out," Nikolias whispered to himself. He shrugged it off and walked towards the kitchen.

Suddenly, an awful odor hit his senses. He sniffed the air a few times and his nose crinkled; it was blood. He knew that scent well.

_'Why do I smell blood?'_ he thought. He was starting to get a feeling of foreboding. Something was not right. "Is anyone here?" he called out. He then saw that the bedroom door, which was always closed, was slightly open. "Michelle, are you there?"

He slowly crept towards the door, the smell of blood intensifying. His entire body was stiff with fear of the unknown. What was behind the door?

And then a new scent hit him. This one was faint, almost completely masked by the smell of fresh blood, but it was there and it was unmistakable. It was a scent that always reminded Nikolias of a meadow filled with blooming flowers and a gentle breeze blowing pollen through the air. It was a scent that always relaxed Nikolias and brought him peace of mind. On this particular day, however, it filled him with dread and quickened his pace to the door. He threw the door fully open, allowing it to crash into the wall. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.

The room was torn apart. Furniture was knocked over, broken candles lay scattered about, and belongings were thrown haphazardly around the room.

The floor was stained a dark red from the massive amounts of blood.

And lying in a pool of blood was a beautiful young woman.

"MICHELLE!" Nikolias roared as he ran to the young woman's side. "Michelle, wake up! Michelle, answer me!" He shook her lightly over and over as he attempted to awaken her. It took a few minutes for reality to set in. And when it did, it hit hard.

Michelle's body was covered in deep puncture marks, most likely caused by multiple stabbings from a knife of some kind.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. He held her tightly, not even caring that Michelle's blood was staining every fiber of his clothing. He wanted to be with her.

"Michelle, please don't leave me," he sobbed. He slowly began rocking back and forth on his knees. He didn't even notice the wood of the floor tear small cuts in his flesh as he rocked. "Please, I need you, Michelle. You can't be dead."

But Michelle had been dead for a few hours.

The sun began to set on the day as Nikolias sat in a corner, staring at the corpse of his beloved laid out peacefully on the bed. His clothes were heavy with blood and his hands and forearms were covered in it as well. He had been crying for hours and the tears had finally run out. The sorrow, however, remained.

"How could this happen?" he rasped. "Why is she dead? Who would do this? She was so innocent." He lifted his knees up to his chest and buried his face into his thighs before shouting as loud as he could, "She never did anything wrong!"

It was then that Nikolias noticed a faint scent that he had ignored due to the current situation. He knew that smell. It was like fertilizer and fear…

_'The townspeople…they killed her…'_ he thought.

Sorrow was beginning to become replaced by anger.

"How could they? She was kind and understanding. Why would they kill her? Is it because of me? Because she fell in love with a dragon? Is this her punishment? How is that fair!?"

His whole body began to tremble with rage.

"They all need to pay…" he hissed.

He slowly began to get to his feet, his eyes closed as his head hung loose.

"They must realize their mistake…"

He stood straight up and curled his lips, revealing fangs. He then whipped up his head and shot open his eyes, revealing golden dragon eyes.

"I will make them all pay!"

And then everything went red.

Nikolias' golden irises suddenly changed to an angry red that glowed in the dimly lit room. Shadows began whipping around the room, breaking through the walls and the ceiling. The ground began to shake as Nikolias made his way to the exit of the house.

_'They dare kill her? They will all bleed. They will all die. They will realize the error of their ways while they burn.'_

With a wave of his hand, a ball of shadow burst through the door, shattering it completely and sending wood splinters in every direction. He walked through the entrance and looked out at the town, his anger building every second.

_'Die…die…die…die…DIE!'_

Nikolias released an angry roar that shook the ground. And then he was gone in a pillar of shadows.

_'Humans are petty. Humans are weak. Humans think only of themselves. They have no place in this world. I will eradicate them. I will burn them all to ashes!'_

The pillar of shadow exploded, leaving behind a black haze that was blown away by massive black wings. An enormous roar echoed through the town.

The Shadow Dragon had once again returned to enact his revenge on those that wronged him.

With one powerful flap of his wings, Nikolias shot into the air and flew above the town. People looked up and began screaming and running away in terror as the massive dragon flew overhead.

_'You killed her so I shall show you no mercy!'_

Nikolias roared once more before releasing a jet of black fire from his maw, igniting various buildings as he flew and spreading the flames with every gust of wind from his wings. Every now and then, he would swoop down and snap his jaws around a helpless citizen, devouring them in seconds. When he wasn't diving down on the populace, he was setting the town ablaze with angry black fires.

_'No one will survive.'_

He landed on top of a building and roared as he swung his tail, demolishing numerous houses and shops with one powerful motion. He glared down at the terrified public, a ferocious snarl on his face. As he watched them run, his anger continued to grow. With another roar, he flew into the air, high into the clouds until he couldn't be seen.

And then massive black fireballs fell from the sky at high speed. They rained down on Argon, erupting upon impact and burning alive anyone they touched. Buildings were torn down as the fireballs destroyed the foundations. Hundreds of fireballs appeared from the sky before stopping altogether.

Then, through the clouds, a black blur sped towards the earth. Upon colliding with it, a tidal wave of black fire crashed down over Argon, completely burning it down and killing all in the area.

With a roar of anger and victory, Nikolias returned to the sky, searching for any survivors. There were none.

With no one left to kill, Nikolias' anger began to subside. However, this time there was no fatigue. He gently landed on the ground and shadows began to dance around him, completely shrouding him. When the shadows died away, Nikolias, in his human form and with his human eyes, stood among the burning ruins, no emotion on his face. As if in a trance, he walked back towards his now destroyed home.

Upon arriving, He saw that the house had been completely destroyed as it was bathed in black fire. With a simple sweep of his hand, the black fires dissipated. Nikolias began to dig through the broken lumber of his home until he found what he was looking for; Michelle. He removed all of the rubble that lay on top of her before he gently picked her up and carried her towards the front lawn. He spent the next hour digging her grave.

Once she had been buried, he located a stone slab that would pass for a headstone and plunged it into the earth. He brushed off his hands and stared down at the stone, tears streaming down his face.

"Michelle. I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you. I always wanted to protect you." He sniffed. "I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. I wanted to raise a family with you. We had such nice dreams for ourselves." The tears were falling harder and his throat was tightening, making speech difficult. "You were the love of my life and now you're gone. I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you." He stared into the sky and began shouting his pain away. "HOW IS THIS FAIR? WHY PUNISH THEM? MY FRIENDS, MICHELLE, WHY TAKE THEM AWAY? IS THIS YOUR WAY OF PUNISHING _ME_? HUH? BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL CLOSE TO ME, THEY HAD TO DIE?" He took a deep breath before looking back at the stone. "It's clear to me now, Michelle, and I'm so sorry that I didn't realize it sooner. Had I realized it, your life would have been spared." A sad smile came to his face. "Happiness is for others, not cursed monsters like me. I'm not meant to live a happy life. I always thought I could be happy. I always thought I could be deserving of happiness. But that was a fool's dream. I couldn't see that from the moment I was born into this world, I was meant to bring sorrow and death to everyone I cared about. That's what my life is. That's my curse, which has only grown stronger with my survival of the Red Eye. I need to just be alone and avoid humans. I'm just sorry that my blindness led to this." He bent down and kissed the gravestone. "Goodbye, my love. I hope one day I can see your smiling face one more time." With that, he turned and walked out of the burning town and began to wander, this time knowing for sure that nothing but loneliness awaited him for the rest of his life.

* * *

**AGE 798—10 YEARS AGO**

"Welcome to Calione!" the greeter at the front gate exclaimed. Nikolias just walked through, paying the man no mind, but could hear him mumble under his breath, "Geez, what a jack ass."

Calione was a small town right on the border between the countries of Seven and Bosco. He had made it far in the past 450 years. Ever since he left Argon, he just kept walking west, stopping only to sleep and hunt for food. He still looked relatively the same—if one was to guess his age, they would probably say 22—and he was still physically fit. His hair was kept short, but it was slightly messy since he was cutting his own hair. He wasn't sure why he bothered cutting his hair. Perhaps it was because Michelle loved it short.

Around the age of 350, he had officially entered Earth Land via the Pergrande Kingdom border. Ever since, he began wandering every inch of Earth Land. From Pergrande Kingdom, he headed southwest into Bellum, further southwest into Desierto, crossing west into Minstrel, walking south into Midi, turning north in order to cross through Minstrel again and into Joya, walking northwest into Stella, heading northeast into Iceberg, turning southwest into Bosco, and then heading north where he was now entering Seven. It had been a long journey with no purpose, but he certainly saw a lot. However, he avoided any and all interactions, never once speaking to a human for the entire 450 year trek.

He walked through Calione, noticing how quiet the small town was. There weren't a lot of people in the streets and those that were out and about were alone or in pairs, talking quietly between each other. This kind of town suited Nikolias just fine. This kind of town meant less chance of people bothering him.

He took a turn down a particularly quiet and empty street. The houses on this street certainly had interesting architecture. They had a style from a couple hundred years ago, which struck him as odd since he saw so many flaws with that design over the years. Houses like this were weak to weather damage, so after about three rainstorms, a new house or costly repairs would be needed. He chuckled to himself as he walked. _'How typical of humans; so unwilling to accept change because it's inconvenient to think of something more efficient. No matter how much trouble something is, they desperately try to cling to what is familiar and safe.'_

Suddenly, his ears twitched as he picked up a sound. "What the hell is that?" He began walking towards the sound, curious to see where it was coming from.

* * *

"Let me go!"

A thin, mousy man grinned wickedly at the young girl being held against the wall by his two muscular companions. "But Miss Gracie, I thought you wanted to see me?"

She spat at the man. "I want to kill you, you son of a bitch. Big difference."

"Kill me? Why?"

"You know damn well why. You killed my parents!" she screamed at him.

He grabbed her face roughly with his hand. "Ah, but they were behind on their payments consistently. What choice did I have? They served as an example for the rest of my customers, so don't worry your pretty little head. In the end, they were quite useful to me."

"An example?" she hissed.

"Yes. People can't think that they can just borrow my money and pay me back whenever. This is a business after all."

"You make me sick."

"My, such a vulgar thing to say. So sad, since you really do have a pretty face." He reached down and picked up the broad sword that lay on the ground by Gracie's feet. "Maybe I should cut out that tongue of yours with the very weapon you intended to kill me with."

She glared at him, but said nothing as she struggled against her captors.

The mousy man walked towards her while eyeing the blade. "A handsome sword. Too bad you have no skill with it."

"I have plenty of skill with it, you bastard, but your boyfriends jumped me. Fight me one on one and I'll show you just how skilled I am."

He laughed. "Sorry, not interested. I think I'll just punish you for your attitude."

She struggled with all of her might, but couldn't escape the grips of the muscular men. All she could do was watch as the mousy man lifted the sword over his head, prepared to strike her down.

"Hey."

Everyone turned to see a tall muscular man with golden brown eyes glaring at the mousy man from the entrance of the alley.

* * *

He didn't know what came over him. He hated humans and yet here he was, looking to save one. However, he could see that this girl was in trouble and, based on the conversation he heard, she was innocent. That changed things for him. In this girl, who was probably in her teens, he could see his friends and he could see Michelle, all innocent but killed because of someone's twisted goals and desires. He hated to admit it, but as much as he disliked all humans, those who were innocent didn't deserve to die.

"Who the fuck are you?" the mousy man called out to him.

"Let her go," Nikolias said coldly.

"Sorry, but no can do. She brought this upon herself. She needs to be taught a lesson."

"And I can't accept that. I heard the conversation. She has every right to kill you, but you have no right to do anything to her."

The mousy man turned and glared at him. "You dare interfere with Harry the Horrible?"

Nikolias tried as hard as he could to fight back what was rising to the surface, but it was no use. It was too strong. He burst out laughing.

Harry gritted his teeth. "You dare laugh at me?"

"You…you call yourself Harry the Horrible? You? HAH! I've never seen anyone less horrible. Have you considered changing it to Harry the Helpless? Oh, what about Harry the Hamster?" He couldn't stop laughing at this man. He had to say, though, he missed laughing.

Harry pointed Gracie's sword at him. "So, you think you're a tough guy, huh? Well, I think I can take you. Then I'll show you just how horrible I am!" He charged Nikolias, blade drawn back. "Prepare to die, mother fucker!"

"Look out!" Gracie shouted.

Nikolias stopped laughing as he watched Harry charge and his expression returned to the cold exterior from before. He sighed, held his hand out to the side, and whispered, "SHADOW BLADE!" In his hand, shadows quickly began collecting and formed the shape of a sword. With incredible speed, Nikolias charged Harry, prepared to strike.

Harry was shocked at what he'd just seen. Suddenly, this guy was armed. Out of nowhere, he had gotten a sword. And just like that, Harry didn't feel too confident in his chances of winning.

And his uncertainty is what got him killed.

Nikolias easily ducked Harry's weak swing and, when the sword passed overhead, he straightened up and plunged his Shadow Blade into Harry's abdomen.

Harry's face froze from the pain. Blood began dripping from his lips as he coughed, sending droplets of his blood flying onto Nikolias' face.

Nikolias seemed unfazed. He just glared at Harry with cold eyes. Then, with one swift motion, Nikolias pulled his blade upwards, slicing cleanly through Harry's chest and head as it rose. He watched as Harry's body collapsed to the ground and his blood began pooling on the ground underneath him. He allowed his Shadow Blade to disperse before turning his cold glare to the bodyguards, who were staring at Harry's dead body with fear in their eyes. "Leave or die. Your choice."

The men looked at Nikolias before dropping Gracie and running off, screaming as they went.

"Damn it," Gracie mumbled as she stood, brushing herself off. "Thanks for the help. So what's your name?" She looked up to find Nikolias walking away. "Hey! Hey hold on!" she called out as she ran after him.

He stopped and turned. "What do you want?"

She stood in front of him. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me out and for killing that weasel. He's a total bastard and this world is better off without him in it."

"Fine," Nikolias said as he started walking again.

"Hold on, I'm not done talking to you!" Gracie shouted. She ran up and walked beside him. "So what's your name?"

He looked down at the girl as he walked. "Nikolias." He then turned his head back to look forward.

"Nikolias? That's a weird name. I'm gonna call you Niky!"

"No, you're not."

"Why not?"

"It's not like you're ever gonna see me again, so you might as well call me by my proper name."

"You're a downer. Oh yeah! I never introduced myself."

"I don't care."

"Sure you do! My name is Gracie Amier. That's pronounced ah-me-air."

"I don't care."

"I'm 14 years old and quite the skilled swordswoman."

"I don't care."

"Man, you're a broken record, Niky."

"Don't call me that."

"So what did you mean when you said that I'm never gonna see you again?"

"What do you think it means? I'm leaving this town as soon as possible."

"To go where?"

"Who knows?"

"Then why leave?"

"Cuz I don't wanna stay."

"Why not?"

"What's the point in staying anywhere?"

Gracie raised her eyebrow. "You're strange, Niky, but I kinda like you. You mind if I travel with you?"

"Yes, I mind."

"Aw c'mon, why can't I go with you?"

"I travel alone."

"That's so lonely, though."

"Exactly."

Gracie could see some sadness on his otherwise stoic face. "Why do you want to be alone?"

"I'm done answering your questions."

"Alright then. Can I come with you? Really? Great!"

"You're not coming with me."

"Sure I am. Why wouldn't I? There's nothing for me here now that that Harry douche is dead."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I heard your parents are dead, but I'm sure that there's someone here that you care about; other family members or friends. Go with them."

"No, I don't have any other family. And I especially don't have any friends. Well, except for you."

"We're not friends."

"Of course we are! After all, you saved my life."

"I just happened upon some filth and eradicated it. Nothing more."

"You're a terrible liar. You know we're friends."

"We're really not."

"There's the lying again! I think you have a problem."

"Yes, and it's you."

"That was cold."

"Please just leave me alone."

"I can't do that. How else are we gonna travel together?"

"We're not traveling together."

"But you said that we could!"

"I never said anything of the kind."

"Liar!"

"Would you cut that out?"

"Nope. Not until you tell the truth and say that we're traveling buddies."

"We're not traveling buddies."

"Liar!"

Nikolias groaned. He couldn't figure out how to ditch this kid. Then he got an idea. "Look kid, I'm sorry that you're alone, but believe me when I say that sticking by me is a recipe for death. So goodbye." With that, he summoned his wings and leapt into the air, flying as fast as he could to get away from Gracie.

* * *

Nikolias found an alley a few feet from the exit of the town and breathed a sigh of relief. _'Finally, I don't have to hear her talk anymore.'_ He retracted his wings, left the alley, and walked out of the gate, putting Calione behind him and entering the country of Seven.

He continued walking aimlessly as he always did when he heard a familiar voice.

"Where you goin'?"

He stopped and whipped his head around. There, just a few feet behind him, was Gracie. "How the hell did you find me?"

She smiled and winked. "I'm a good tracker."

He narrowed his eyes. "Bullshit." He knew that no one could track his movements. He was a Shadow Dragon, after all. Stealth was one of their greatest strengths.

She giggled. "Okay, you caught me. I lied. Of course, I guess it does take one to know one."

"I never lied. We aren't traveling together."

"It sure looks like it to me."

"You followed me without my permission. Now tell me how you found me."

She pointed to her brain. "I'm a master strategist, so it was really easy to figure out. You wanted to leave, so when you flew off—neat trick by the way—I knew that you would head for the exit gate. I just had to get there as fast as possible so that I could follow you."

"Fine. Congratulations on being a fucking genius. Now go away."

"Nope. My prize for finding you is getting to travel with you!"

"Absolutely not. I travel alone."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuz being with you means death. I get it. Well I'd rather be with you and die then go back home and live."

He just stared at her. How could she feel that way? Why would she want to die?

"Hey Niky?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Do you want to be alone because someone close to you died?"

Nikolias froze. He had no response. It hurt too much to talk about and he definitely wasn't going to tell this strange and annoying girl about it.

"Your silence tells me yes. I'm so sorry. But don't you see? This is how we go together perfectly! We both lost people who are close to us and now, we feel lost. We can comfort each other."

"No. No we can't," Nikolias said through gritted teeth. "There is no comfort. There is only pain."

"Now that may be the most negative thing that I've ever heard in my life. Unless you deal with it, the pain will never go away. And unless you move on, you will always be haunted. You just have to try and keep your spirits up."

"You may have lost your parents, but you could never understand what I went through."

"My parents were killed for money. It's such a bullshit reason to kill."

"You want bullshit? All of my friends and my wife were murdered out of fear," he hissed. And then he realized something. _'Shit, this little trickster just coaxed information out of me!'_

She walked over to him and hugged him. "I'm sorry. But you don't have to be alone anymore. We can be there for each other from now on. That's what friends do."

"We're not friends. Now get off."

"No."

Nikolias sighed. He hated to admit it, but this girl was actually making him feel better. "Get off."

"No."

"Now."

"No."

"Gracie…"

"You said my name!"

"Yeah…what?"

She smiled up at him. "By saying my name, we are official travel partners, Niky!"  
"That's not my name and no we're not."

"You can keep lying, but you should know that I'm just going to keep following you."

"I'll just fly away."

"I'll find you again."

"Hah. Good luck catching a Shadow Dragon." And then he realized that he slipped up again. _'God dammit! How does she do that?'_

"Whoa, you're a dragon? That would explain the wings."

He sighed. There was no point denying it. She saw the wings and he even admitted to being a dragon. "I'm a Half-Dragon. Nikolias the Shadow Dragon."

"Whoa. So what does that mean?"

"It means that I can partially and fully transform into a dragon."

"That's so cool!"

As they conversed, Nikolias couldn't help but think of Michelle, the only other human to react this way to this news.

"Say, Niky?"

"What?"

"I have an idea."

"And that would be?"

"Let's travel the world together and help people!"

"Oh? And how would we do that?"

"With your abilities and my abilities, we could take down criminals who escape the law!"

"So you wanna join the police?"

"No. I want to take them down as in kill them."

Nikolias once again was taken aback by this girl. Never before had he met such a human. "You want to kill your own kind?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"No, but that's because I'm not human and I'm not a fan of humans, so I have no problem killing them. You, on the other hand, are human."

"I don't want to kill everyone. Just the really bad ones. You know, the ones who hurt the innocent."

Nikolias chuckled. _'This girl is like the human version of me.'_ He walked closer to her before bending over to be face to face with her. "Very well, Gracie. I will agree to that. But don't blame me if you get yourself killed."

She looked at him with absolute joy. "Hooray! Thanks, Niky!"

He put a hand on her head. "Whatever."

The two began walking into Seven, Gracie skipping along and Nikolias sighing at her overenthusiastic behavior.

"Oh, and thanks," Gracie said.

"For what?"

She smiled at him. "For letting me call you Niky! The past two times I said it, you didn't correct me!"

He stared dumbfounded at Gracie. _'Shit.'_

* * *

For the next ten years, Nikolias and Gracie traveled together, killing major criminals who made the lives of the innocent difficult. Nikolias had to admit that being with Gracie was fun. They were in a lot of ways alike, almost as if they were separated at birth (by a few hundred years). Over that time, they became very close, like a small family. She became a sister to him, someone that he was willing to protect with his life. Nikolias also found that Gracie had a very calming effect on him. She had a way of making him feel like he could live a normal life again. Also, when he would relive the deaths of his friends or Michelle at night, she would always wake him up before the memories of his rampages began and she would soothe him until he felt at ease. The frequency of the reliving of the memories decreased the more time he spent with Gracie, which he found to be yet another perk to having her with him.

Nikolias got to see first-hand just how talented a swordswoman Gracie was. She was quite gifted with her broad sword and could probably hold up well in an actual fight with him. He also learned that she could use something called "magic". She called it Requip magic, but honestly, Nikolias had trouble fully understanding this whole magic thing. That is, until he saw Gracie summon weapons out of thin air. Yet another way they were alike. Her fighting styles and strategies also greatly assisted him in fighting. She always had a plan that always seemed to work. She would give a command and he would obey unquestioningly, knowing that she knew what she was doing and trusting her to see them through it. When they fought together, their techniques fit together perfectly, like two perfectly aligned gears. Everything went smoothly when they fought. After some practice and real-life scenarios, they developed three possible tactics for battle; the Ground-Ground method, which had Gracie fighting with two katanas and Nikolias fighting with his shadow powers and/or dragon blades, the Air-Ground method, which had Gracie fighting with a halberd and Nikolias supporting her from the air in his partial-dragon form, and the Air-Air method, which had Gracie wielding her broad sword while riding Nikolias in his dragon form. This last method was probably the least used as the destruction it caused was incredible.

After their first year together, Gracie got to see something that Nikolias had never experienced around people he knew; something he would later explain as Dragon Feast. At random points in time, separated by an unknown amount of years, Nikolias would become incredibly hungry, needing to eat for at most 24 hours straight. If he didn't eat for the entire time, he would become possessed by the dragon inside until the hunger was satisfied. On this particular day, the two were passing through a town in Seven when the Dragon Feast began. Gracie didn't understand what was happening and couldn't understand Nikolias' requests. Unfortunately, this led to the deaths of eight innocent people who just so happened to be spotted by Nikolias and devoured. She was upset that she could do nothing to save those people, so when it was over, Nikolias explained everything to her so that if it happened again, she would be prepared.

As time passed, Nikolias grew slightly more accepting of humans. He still despised most of them, but because of Gracie, he was starting to find the goodness that they could possess. However, more often than not, he still made snide comments and ignored them whenever possible. With each passing year, though, he became more and more open to others, but still, in general, was rather reserved.

After about four years together, Nikolias told Gracie his story. He told her everything about everyone. When he finished, he gave her the option to leave and go her own way, but she refused, telling him that she would stay with him because they were family. He genuinely smiled at this. He was relieved to hear that she was going to stay. They had found family in each other and he didn't want to lose that. He did, however, ask that she not tell anyone about what he was and he demanded that his past remain between them. She was a bit confused, but she agreed, figuring that talking about it all was too painful. In terms of keeping the Half-Dragon business under wraps, she just figured that he wanted to seem as normal as possible, which she thought was great. If he wanted to seem normal, then maybe he was willing to be around humans more and was more willing to accept his human half. Even though he said he wasn't human, she knew that he still had that side of him, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Nikolias thought about how he got where he was. He still believed that happiness wasn't meant for him, but he was glad to at least have one person, one sister, one friend by his side. Even if that was all that he would have for the rest of his life, he was thankful. Of course, he was never good at predicting what the future would hold. He never would have guessed that by being with Gracie, he would find new friends, new family, a new home, and a new love.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

_**Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon**_

**Chapter 15**

There was stunned silence for a while. Everyone was absorbing what they had just heard.

Gracie released a heavy sigh. "Man, that was the first time I've ever told that story. It takes a lot more time to tell it than to hear about it. I'm exhausted."

"So you're tellin' us that Nikolias is actually over 800 years old when he looks like he's only 20?" Gajeel asked.

"Yup, that's what I'm telling you guys."

"Nikolias saved your life?" Lisanna asked.

"That he did and I'm eternally grateful for it."

"Sounds like Nikolias is pretty big," Cana said with a wink, making all of the girls blush slightly.

Gracie giggled. "Yeah, maybe I shoulda left that part out. The only reason Niky told me that story was because whenever he talks about Michelle, he tends to never stop and give every detail. I personally cannot attest to his size or skill. In fact, I've never seen him fully naked."

"I'd be willing to take one for the team to find out," Cana said with a laugh.

"All of that stuff actually happened to Nikolias?" Lucy said, shock all over her face.

Gracie nodded. "Unfortunately." She looked around. "Is everyone okay after hearing that?"

Makarov nodded. "It was an upsetting story for sure, but I can assure you that we're all fine."

Gracie smiled at him before scanning the room. Everyone certainly appeared fine. The only one who stood out was Mira. "Mira? You okay?"

Mira blinked as if awakening from a daydream. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay, if you're sure. So, are there any other questions or concerns?"

"Nikolias really destroyed two towns and everyone in them?" Lucy asked timidly.

"Well, in a sense. The Red Eye plays off of Niky's anger and sorrow. When it activates, his eyes go red and he becomes lost in blind rage. However, in this state, he's not really himself."

"Has Nikolias ever voluntarily used the Red Eye?" Erza inquired.

"No, not once. Niky hates it. In all three cases where the Red Eye was used, it activated itself when he got angry after someone he cared for was killed."

"Can he choose to use it?" Erza asked again.

Gracie scratched her chin. "You know, I'm not sure. I would assume so, but I guarantee Niky would never choose to use it. It's probably something that he can't control too well."

"If we had met you guys closer to ten years ago, how would Nikolias have acted?" Levy asked.

Gracie gave a small laugh. "I can pretty much guarantee that he wouldn't have said a word to any of you. Hell, you may have even thought he was an asshole. I'm actually thrilled with how open he's been around you guys and how much he likes being here."

"Gracie, do you recall that sword that you purchased back in Freesia Town?" Erza spoke up again. "Nikolias mentioned that the poison on the blade came from 'that virus'. Did he mean the Red Eye virus?"

Gracie nodded. "Yes. Apparently, that Dr. Gorn guy managed to escape the town before Niky destroyed it and further built on his research of the Red Eye. He basically weaponized it to rid the world of dragons, humanity's 'greatest threat'."

"So when Nikolias said that it wouldn't affect him…"

"It's because the Red Eye already courses through his veins. He's already been infected with it."

"Whatever happened to that Gorn guy?" Gray asked.

"He probably died of old age long ago, but I'm not really sure. Niky actually hates that he never killed Gorn with his own hands. He was even more furious that Gorn's 'legacy' was living on through his Red Eye virus."

Makarov spoke again. "We are now also aware as to why Nikolias seemed so frightened when he heard the townspeople were upset."

Again, Gracie nodded. "Niky was afraid that if he stayed here with the people being angry with him, they would retaliate by killing you guys."

"Seriously? He was afraid they would kill us?" Natsu asked incredulously before getting a slap to the back of the head by Gray. "Ow! What?"

"Were you not listening to the story or did you have fire stuck in your ears?" Gray shot at him.

Gracie interrupted before things got too heated. "Look, I know it may sound insane, Natsu, but think about what I just told you. On two separate occasions, Niky has had people close to him taken away because villagers disliked and feared him. It scares him to think that it could possibly happen a third time and it's hard to blame him for that fear after all that's happened to him."

"Oh," Natsu said.

"So Nikolias really thinks that he doesn't deserve happiness?" Wendy asked.

"He truly believes that, yes."

"But that's silly. Isn't he happy with you? You said he liked being here, so isn't he happy here with us?"

"Yes and yes, but because of his past, he's not letting himself be as open as he could be. He's afraid that any day now, something will happen that will take me or any of you away for good, and it's almost like he's just waiting for that inevitable event to occur. Even though he's a lot better than he used to be, he's still scared."

"Do you think he'll ever open up fully?" Lucy asked.

Gracie shot Mira a look. "I think that it's very possible. He's made so much progress in the month we've been here. I think the cure to his curse resides here."

Mira noticed her looking at her while she said this and lightly blushed.

"So, any other questions?" Gracie asked.

"For now, I think we're all satisfied," Makarov said. "Thank you, Gracie, for telling us the story."

"Your welcome. And remember," she warned, "no pity towards Niky."

Everyone nodded and dispersed. Gracie sighed again. She was glad Nikolias wasn't present for the story and she was really glad that he didn't have to tell it. Even though he was making great progress, his past still hurt him and she didn't want to risk regression.

It was then that she noticed Mira had not left her seat and was staring at the floor. Gracie gave her a small smile and walked over to her. "Mira? You sure you're okay?" she whispered as she gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Mira looked up at her but didn't smile. Instead, she looked as if she were going to cry.

Gracie offered her a hand. "Come on, let's go talk in private."

Mira nodded and accepted her hand.

The two walked into Gracie's bedroom and sat down on her bed.

Gracie was the first to talk. "So what's bothering you, Mira?"

Mira kept her head down. "Nikolias has fallen in love twice before and both times, the person was killed. How can I possibly think that he would ever want to be with anyone ever again after everything that's happened to him?"

Gracie put a hand on her thigh. "Mira, I can't tell you exactly what is going through Niky's head or heart, but I can tell you this; he cares deeply for you. He may even love you for all I know. He's just afraid to vocalize how he feels."

"You don't think I'm kidding myself?"

"Hell no. I truly believe that you two can make it. Niky will realize it sooner or later. I see the way he looks at you. I hear the way he talks to you and about you. He's comfortable around you. He may want to deny it out of fear, but it's there and eventually, he'll stop denying it."

Mira smiled. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right about this stuff. And the more time you spend with him, the more likely he'll open up more."

Mira nodded. "Okay, then. I'll do that!"

Gracie shot her fist into the air. "That's the spirit! Never give up!"

Mira stood and made for the door. As she began walking out of Gracie's room, she stopped and turned her head. "Thank you, Gracie."

Gracie smiled and winked. "Any time."

* * *

Outside the guild, Nikolias tried to sleep, but found it to be eluding him. He was just too nervous. Inside of Fairy Tail, everyone was hearing about his past and what he'd done. He hated the thought of anyone thinking of him differently or being afraid of him, but he knew that they had to know. They deserved to know. Hell, he was on the brink of razing Magnolia to the ground. If it wasn't for Mira, there would be even more innocent lives on his conscious.

Mira. It was her new-formed opinion of him that had him on edge the most. Even though she promised that she wouldn't think less of him or avoid him, how could he expect her to keep that promise after hearing what he's done? He knew he couldn't blame her for thinking that way. But he prayed that she would stay. He wanted her by his side. Everything about her made him feel…happy. He was happy when he was with her.

"Oi, Nikolias!"

Nikolias lifted his head from the ground to look at the voice that stirred him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes to see Natsu walking over to him with a big smile on his face. _'What's he doing here? The story must be over, I guess.'_

"I know you can't talk, but listen up." He stopped and pointed to Nikolias. "No one in Fairy Tail thinks any less of you, you hear me? You're still the same bad ass dragon we've come to call friend. So no worries, got it?"

Nikolias stared at Natsu before giving a deep chuckle. _'I guess Grego was right. All Fire Dragons are hot headed. I see so much of Alec in you, Natsu.'_ He lowered his head to Natsu's level and nudged him in the stomach.

Natsu chuckled and put his hand on Nikolias' snout. Suddenly, Nikolias began radiating a black aura that moved to surround Natsu. Shadows wrapped around his body and completely enveloped him. He pulled his hand away and stared at it. "Whoa, what is this?" After a few seconds, the shadows vanished, but Natsu kept staring at his hand. "What just happened?"

_"Hey, Natsu. It's me, Nikolias."_

Natsu stared wide-eyed at Nikolias. "Holy crap, I can hear you!"

_"That's because I made the connection with you."_

"Wow, really? Why'd ya do that?"

_"You remind me of an old friend."_

"That's awesome! From what Gracie told us, your friends were strong and really cool people."

_"That they were."_

Natsu sat on the ground in front of Nikolias. "So what was it like being raised by dragons?"

Nikolias tilted his head slightly. _"You of all people should know what it's like, Natsu."_

"Yeah, but things obviously changed over the years. Igneel never offered to go through Dragon Spirit with me."

_"Well, dragons stopped going through the Dragon Spirit with humans after what happened to my friends and I."_

"Why?"

_"As time passed, they stopped seeing humans as worthy."_

"How do you know that?"

_"I have the same instincts and senses as a dragon. I think how they would think."_

Natsu looked confused. "Doesn't that mean you're biased? I mean, you don't like humans, so…"

_"I can see why you think I'm biased, but I assure you that I'm not in this matter. You see, my brain is, in a way, segregated. There's a human part and a dragon part. Everything involved with my senses and instincts, such as what I just told you, takes place in the dragon portion of my brain. All emotions, including what happened to me in the past, takes place in the human portion. That's how I'm not biased."_

"I think I get it," Natsu said, scratching his head. "Anyway, can you answer the question?"

Nikolias laughed, which came out like heavy wheezing. _"Alright, hot head. Living with Dagor and the other dragons and Half-Dragons was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Life with them was wonderful. We laughed, we played, we fought. We were a family. In a way, we were like you all in Fairy Tail. I think that that's a close and accurate comparison."_

"That sounds awesome! Living with Igneel was great, too. I miss him, but I'm grateful for my family here in Fairy Tail." Natsu leaned back on his arms. "I'm sorry for what happened to those girls you loved."

Nikolias sighed. _"I don't need apologies. What happened happened."_

"I get that. Sorry for bringing it up."

_"It's fine. You're just trying to figure out how to deal with new and rather big information."_

Natsu gave him a big grin. "Still, it sounds like you were quite the catch back in the day!"

Nikolias huffed. _"Back in the day? Word has it that quite a few of the Fairy Tail girls find me attractive. Not bad for being 808 years old."_

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Like who?"

_"I don't really know names. Gracie wasn't specific. Why?"_

Natsu looked away. "No reason."

Nikolias' lips curled into a slight smile. _"Could it be that young Natsu is into a girl?"_

Natsu blushed. "Heh, yeah right."

_"Natsu, I'm not stupid. I can see that you're lying. I promise it'll stay between us, if that helps. What's her name?"_

"It's no one, I swear!"

Nikolias raised his head. _"Fine, I'll just guess. Let's see…based on what I've seen, I would say Lucy."_

Natsu's face went red as he looked at Nikolias, wide eyed. "What are you talking about?"

_"Oh wow. First guess and I got it, huh?"_

"You're way off," Natsu denied as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away again.

_"Am I?"_ Nikolias leaned in again. _"Natsu, what can you tell me about Lucy's scent?"_

"Her scent?" Natsu asked.

_"Yes the scent she has."_

Natsu thought. "Well, it's a nice scent. It always makes me feel at home when I'm around it. It's relaxing. I guess you could say I like her scent."

Nikolias nodded. _"Okay. Do you find yourself drawn to it?"_

"Whaddya mean 'drawn to it'?"

_"Does it call to you? Do you find the need to be around it all the time?"_

"I dunno."

_"Really? Okay, let's try a more direct approach. Why do you always do missions with Lucy?"_

"Cuz she's my friend and I like being around her."

_"That's nice. Do you spend a lot of time at her place?"_

"Yeah."

_"More than at your own place?"_

He thought it over. "Probably."

_"Then it's my expert opinion that you dig Lucy."_

"Huh?"

Nikolias laughed. _"Oh come on, you're totally into her. You're drawn to her scent!"_

"Am not!"

_"You basically already admitted it."_

"No I didn't!"

Nikolias sighed. _"My God, you could be Alec's twin. Alright Natsu, I'm not gonna argue with you about this anymore, but at least let me offer you a little bit of advice."_

"Okay," Natsu said warily.

_"When you find the one you want to be with, don't wait around. Act on it because you never know what could happen in the future."_

Natsu nodded. "Fine, I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh, hey there you two."

Natsu turned and Nikolias raised his head to see Mira walking over with a smile on her pretty face.

"Oh, hey Mira," Natsu said, returning the smile.

"Hello Natsu," she said with her usual cheery tone and smile before turning to Nikolias. "Hello, Nikolias."

_"Hi Mira,"_ he said. It was clear from his greeting that he was concerned about what was to follow. Mira walked closer to Nikolias and signaled him to come closer with her index finger. Nikolias obeyed, moving his head closer to Mira's body. He anxiously waited for her to speak.

Mira gently cupped Nikolias' face in her hands before slowly rubbing the scales. "That was quite a story we heard."

_"Yeah."_

"I'm sorry that you had to go through so much."

He flinched a bit at this remark. _"I appreciate the sentiment, but I really don't need sympathy. I just want to forget as much as possible."_

Mira turned to Natsu. "Do you mind if we have some privacy?"

Natsu hopped up and nodded. "Sure thing! Talk to you later, Nikolias!" he said before running back to the guild.

Mira returned her gaze to Nikolias. "You two can talk now?"

He slowly nodded his massive head. _"Yeah, I like the kid. Talking to him can be fun."_

She smiled sweetly. "That's nice. So I wanted to talk to you about something."

Nikolias gulped. _'This is it,'_ he thought. _"Anything. So what's up?"_

"You don't need to be scared, Nikolias."

_"Says you."_

She giggled. "I promised you that I would stay by your side, didn't I?"

_"You shouldn't feel obligated to keep your promise."_

"No, I want to stay by your side. Hearing your story didn't change anything."

He visibly perked up. _"Really? You swear?"_

"Yes, I swear. You were really that afraid?"

_"Mhm."_

"Why?"

_"Well, I was afraid that I…wouldn't see you ever again once you knew."_

She kissed his snout. "You're the cutest thing, you know that?"

_"I've been told. So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"_

She blushed a bit. "I wanted to see if you were willing to spend more time with me. You know, just the two of us."

Nikolias blinked at her. _"Absolutely. I'd love to."_

"Really?"

_"Really."_

"I'm glad. I always enjoy our time together."

_"I do, too. What would you like to do?"_

She smiled. "I'll let you decide. I'll enjoy anything you choose."

_"Well that certainly takes off the pressure."_

"Don't worry about making it perfect, alright?"

_"No promises."_

"Ah, there you are Mira."

Mira turned and Nikolias once again lifted his head to see his new visitors. This time, the entire guild was walking out to where Nikolias was resting.

Mira waved. "Hello everyone. Were you looking for me, Master?"

Gracie ran over to Nikolias and jumped onto his head while Makarov spoke. "Yes, I want everyone together for this conversation."

"Alright," Mira said.

Makarov cleared his throat. "Now, everyone understands that war has been declared, right? The dark guild known as the Bloody Moon guild attempted to destroy our home and everyone in it earlier today. We don't know their purpose or plan, but we can only assume that they will attack again and they will be more prepared. So, we need to discuss a plan of action. Erza?"

Erza nodded and stepped forward. "Before we can do anything, we need to find the Bloody Moon guild. That way we can devise a counterattack. We will send out a scouting party, but there is no telling how long that will take. While the scouting party is out, there is a very good chance that they will attack here again, so everyone should be on their guard."

"If I can interrupt, Erza," Laxus said. Erza nodded and Laxus took the floor. "There's also the chance that Nikolias killing the goon they sent could buy us time. It's obvious that the guild master had high expectations of that guy, so having him not only fail but be unable to return may cause the nut job to re-plan things."

Erza nodded her agreement. "It's definitely something to consider and hope for. The more time we have, the better prepared we can be."

Makarov took control again. "I would like to have a small party of five go scouting. I would like said group to consist of Gajeel, Freed, Gray, Juvia, and Levy."

"That's a pretty strong scouting group, Master," Mira said.

Makarov nodded. "I'm counting on them finding the location of the guild hall, so I want to make sure that they're all capable in case of confrontation. Now, if we're lucky and we find them before they strike again, I'm wondering if Nikolias would be willing to assist with a counterstrike."

Nikolias looked at Makarov. _"What does he want me to do?"_

Gracie relayed the message. "What would you like him to do?"

Makarov stepped closer to Nikolias. "Nikolias, would you be willing to be our first offensive line by using this dragon form to weaken them before things get dangerous?"

_"Hell yeah I'll do it!"_ he said, which only Gracie, Mira, and Natsu heard. Everyone else just heard a massive roar accompanied by a flap of his wings.

Gracie smiled. "He says he'll do it."

"Wonderful! That will help us greatly in the long run."

"Master Makarov, I will of course be accompanying Niky for the counterstrike," Gracie said.

Makarov chuckled. "I would expect nothing less."

"When would you want us to leave, Master?" Freed asked.

"As soon as you are able. We can't assume that they are sitting back and doing nothing."

"Understood. We shall gather our supplies and leave immediately." Freed turned to leave with Gray, Juvia, Levy, and a cursing Gajeel following behind.

"Alright, the plan is underway. Until we hear from the scouting party, everyone may go about their business, but stay alert for anything out of the ordinary. Who knows what Bloody Moon is scheming up? Also, no missions will be taken until this is dealt with. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," everyone replied.

Makarov nodded and headed back into the guild.

Gracie turned to face Nikolias' eyes and knocked on his scaly snout. "Hey Niky, almost able to change back?"

Nikolias huffed at her. _"First of all, what have I told you about knocking on my nose? It's irritating. Now, in terms of energy levels, I haven't been able to sleep much, but I may be able to attempt transforming."_

"Great! Go for it!" She leapt off of his nose and waited with her hands on her hips.

Nikolias rose from the ground to stand on his four legs. _"Alright, steer clear everyone."_ Gracie, Mira, and Natsu took a step back while everyone else stared at them.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"Nikolias said to steer clear so I'm steering clear," he responded.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "You can understand him? Since when?"

"Since like 10 minutes ago."

"Alright everyone, take a step back please. Niky's gonna try to change back now," Gracie called out.

Everyone nodded and stepped back, looking at the dragon that towered above them and anxiously waiting to see the change.

Nikolias closed his large dragon eyes and allowed his body to disappear in a thick, shadowy mist.

"This is just like the mist when he changed into a dragon," Lisanna observed.

Gracie nodded. "Yup."

They all watched the mist, waiting for it to clear when all of a sudden, it evaporated completely into the air. Standing where the mist used to be was Nikolias in his human form, his golden brown eyes now open and a smile on his face. "I'm back!"

"Hey, look at that! You did it!" Gracie exclaimed.

Nikolias chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I did rest enough. It's odd, though, cuz I barely slept at all."

"Maybe you just needed to lie down."

"I guess."

Gracie turned on her heels to face the group. "Well, I guess we should all head in, right? Nothing left to see out here."

Everyone nodded and headed back into the guild. Nikolias and Gracie, however, hung back.

"Niky?" Gracie asked, concern clear in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, everyone knows everything now."

He smiled. "Yeah, but as far as I can tell, no one is treating me too differently, so I think I'll survive."

"Well," Gracie started as she sheepishly scratched her cheek, "you may be getting even more attention from the girls."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"I…may have told them the story of when you and Michelle wanted to start trying."

"Oh for fuck's sake, why did you tell them _that_ story?"

"It slipped out!"

"It slipped out?! How does something like that slip out?!"

"Hey, you're the one who told me in the first place."

"That's different! You know when I talk about Michelle I forget everything else."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! There, better?"

He sighed. "You know what, it's fine."

She was a bit taken a back. "Really? Why?"

He smiled at her. "I have my reasons."

Gracie lit up. "Something happened between you and Mira, didn't it?"

"No."

"Still such a bad liar. It totally did! Oh, this is awesome!"

"Slow your roll, Gracie. We're gonna hang out as friends. We enjoy each other's company."

"Okay, you guys are 'just friends'."

"We are."

Gracie sighed. She knew he was lying, but arguing with him was pointless. "Fine. Okay. Try to have a good time."

Nikolias stared at Gracie. "I will." He began to make his way into the guild.

Gracie watched him walk away and smiled to herself. "Oh Niky. I think very soon you'll start getting out of your own way."

Nikolias turned. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" she called out as she skipped over to catch up to him. "Oh, one more thing before I forget."

"What is it?"

"Did you find what you were looking for when you left?"

He thought for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I think I did." The two walked back into the guild as Nikolias thought about the answer he gave Gracie. _'Yeah, I found what I was looking for. I shouldn't feel guilty for moving on. Thank you, Michelle, for helping me realize that.'_

* * *

"Where the hell is Critik?" Master Severo barked as he paced around his throne room. "He should have squashed those fairies by now." He stopped his pacing. "I must find out his status. VANISH! STEALTH!"

Out of nowhere, two men appeared before Severo. They were dressed in crimson, hooded robes that hid their entire bodies from sight. They kneeled before him.

"You summoned us, Master Severo?" Vanish inquired.

"Yes. I need the skills that you two possess. Go to Magnolia and locate Critik. Tell him to report to me immediately. I'm furious that he's taking this long pulling the wings off of the fairies."

"Yes, Master Severo," the two answered simultaneously.

"Dismissed."

The two disappeared instantly. Master Severo rubbed his temples as he sat in his chair. "Sometimes that Critik is just too thorough in his destruction. Perhaps I taught him too well."


End file.
